1
as in defamation
the making of false statements that damage another's reputation
the actor's lawyers charge that the tabloid engaged in a deliberate campaign of character assassination
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in libel
the use of personal attacks or insults in order to undermine an opponent
refused to resort to character assassination even if it meant losing his bid for governor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of character assassination
Liuzzo and Good suffered significant character assassination that their male partners-in-protest avoided.
—
Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Cries of character assassination that the super smart Donnie would have to ask an AI algorithm for advice could be found all over Twitter.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025
Fending off a character assassination?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Aniko Bodroghkozy, The Conversation, 24 Feb. 2026
Cries of character assassination that the super smart Donnie would have to ask an AI algorithm for advice could be found all over Twitter.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2025
Fending off a character assassination?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
Roberts brings a jolt of invigorating fury to one of the movie’s strongest scenes, in which the mentor rips into her mentee in public on a campus square with a fully detailed character assassination.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
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The Albert and McCabe families have also sued Read and Aidan Kearney, who runs the Turtleboy X account, for defamation.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
8 June 2026
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In December 2025, the rapper won a defamation case against blogger Milagro Gramz.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Sabellico sued him for libel, arguing those comments were malicious and defamatory.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 June 2026
-
Zenger was arrested and accused of seditious libel or content that challenged the authority of the state.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Thousands of providers who were cut off from Medicaid billing can once again receive funds, at least for now, as the Minnesota Department of Human Services navigates a revalidation process drawing bipartisan criticism.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
13 June 2026
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Swift also reflected on making peace with criticism, fair and unfair, from both bots and real people.—
P. Claire Dodson,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Johnson works in the mental health field, helping people on their recovery journey from substance abuse, anxiety, alcohol.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
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In 2019, Colorado lawmakers extended the statute of limitations on failure to report child abuse from 18 months to three years.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Noun
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Resident Nancy Thomas, a frequent critic of the city commission, demanded that Glassman apologize and called for his censure in emails to city officials.—
Steve Bousquet,
Sun Sentinel,
6 June 2026
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During the trial, Phelan led the chamber through the impeachment, defended the process and survived Paxton's attempt to replace him in the House and the Texas Republican Party's censure.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
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So far, several celebrities have been tied to the smearing.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2026
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Whereas the initial narrowband signal might have a strong power across just a few frequencies, the smearing spreads that power across more frequencies, reducing the strength of the signal.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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