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
Relevance
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of character assassination
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
The Court should exercise its discretion to exclude the evidence set forth to avoid unfair character assassination and to ensure a fair trial on the merits.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
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
The Court should exercise its discretion to exclude the evidence set forth to avoid unfair character assassination and to ensure a fair trial on the merits.
—ArsTechnica, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for character assassination
Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination
Noun
-
The claim seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and a further $5 billion for unfair trade practices.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Mateja has also advanced other arguments in defense of the defamation claims against Morris.—
Michelle Casady,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The company accused Moore of libel.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Sugar libel was snipped from both bills.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Without a trial, prosecutor Sarah Wendorf says there were many unanswered questions about Austin and Connie's claims of physical abuse.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Former Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson previously said the city conducted an internal investigation after animal abuse allegations, adding that those would be addressed and staff changes would be made when appropriate, according to Post-Tribune archives.—
Maya Wilkins,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
After a meeting with one of them goes horribly wrong, Devlin and her publicist Sylvie, another a victim of Hollywood’s censure, find revenge offers a unique albeit gruesome ingredient for Glob’s products.—
Paula L. Woods,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The censure document also states that in 2024, the Board sought to address Ko’s absences by updating its policy to reaffirm meeting importance and participation.—
Claire Murphy,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Because the Duggars adhere to a fundamentalist fringe of evangelicalism, the liberal media are often quick to use the family’s failings as a cautionary tale about Christianity in general, and conservatives can be too quick to interpret criticism of the family as criticism of the church.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Rock criticism was unheard of back when writers like Christgau, Greil Marcus and Lester Bangs first started out, forming their own niche within a greater movement that came to be known as New Journalism.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Black inks for the same printers tend to have less obvious smearing than the color ink, and many smear just enough to see a smudge, without harming readability.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
