muckrakers

noun

plural of muckraker
as in journalists
someone who tries to reveal information about prominent individuals behaving badly The newspaper used a team of seasoned muckrakers to expose the corruption at city hall.

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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 muckrakers Several anti-Flock websites and muckrakers used open records laws to collect and publish hundreds of police agencies’ audit logs – internal records detailing each time an officer searched Flock for a specific tag. — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Famous American muckrakers include Ida Tarbell who wrote about Standard Oil’s monopoly; Lincoln Steffens who wrote about corruption in city halls; and Upton Sinclair who exposed deplorable conditions in the meatpacking industry. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muckrakers
  1. journalists
  2. reporters
Noun
  • Six of its journalists were killed, including Anna Politkovskaya, who reported on atrocities during the second Chechen War at the start of Putin’s first term as Russian president.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The airport was off limits to journalists, and no manifest for the flights has been provided.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of journalists
Noun
  • The following day, anonymous government officials confirmed to reporters that the raid was part of an investigation into potential immigration fraud.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The third-year head coach told reporters via Zoom that the decision did not stem from one issue, or from the performance of the defense from Thursday night’s 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of reporters

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Cite this Entry

“Muckrakers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muckrakers. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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