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
-
In December 2025, the rapper won a defamation case against blogger Milagro Gramz.—
Raven Brunner,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
Noun
-
Zenger was arrested and accused of seditious libel or content that challenged the authority of the state.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
-
The nation's highest court overturned a libel case against the newspaper, which had run an ad condemning police treatment of civil rights demonstrators in Montgomery, Alabama.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Both players have been regular targets for fan criticism over their attitude this term.—
Guillermo Rai,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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But that market has faced growing criticism for its dependence on mass production and cultural appropriation — and a portion of travelers are responding by spending their money differently.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
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 12 Jun. 2026.
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