as in libel
the use of personal attacks or insults in order to undermine an opponent
the ceaseless mudslinging merely convinced voters that neither candidate was worth voting for
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Recent Examples of mudslinging
Less than two years after their wedding, Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties, amidst a bevy of allegations, mudslinging and familial tension.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is calling on mayoral rival Andrew Cuomo to release a list of his consulting clients, even trying to tie Cuomo to Jeffery Epstein in a new video as mudslinging between the candidates ramps up.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is calling on mayoral rival Andrew Cuomo to release a list of his consulting clients, even trying to tie Cuomo to Jeffery Epstein in a new video as mudslinging between the candidates ramps up.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mudslinging
Noun
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Harry has twice sued Associated Newspapers for libel, winning one case and withdrawing the other, while his wife Meghan has also won a privacy lawsuit against the publisher.—
Michael Holden,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
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The country also still lacks a freedom of information act, and libel remains a criminal offense.—
Ashish Valentine,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This kind of name-calling also signals a tendency to externalize and place blame, instead of looking inward at their own behavior.—
Dr. Tracy Dalgleish,
CNBC,
3 Oct. 2025
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The name-calling and the stupid AI and the imagery has got to stop.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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What’s more, the administration has gutted the office that investigates allegations of abuse by agents.—
Nicole Foy,
ProPublica,
18 Oct. 2025
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In 2023, Alex was convicted of murdering his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, amid revelations of financial crimes, drug abuse and corruption.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mudslinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mudslinging. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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