mudslinging

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mudslinging
Noun
  • Falwell sued for invasion of privacy, libel and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
    BrieAnna J. Frank, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Harper denied the allegations, and Huizenga filed a libel lawsuit against the former contestant.
    Emily Blackwood, People.com, 23 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Ivins gleefully chronicled legislators’ fistfights, shoving matches, name-calling, and double-crossing.
    Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Trump has also threatened to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, often taunting him with name-calling.
    Alex Veiga, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Directed by Michôd, who co-wrote the script with Katherine Fugate and Mirrah Foulkes, the movie tells the story of Martin’s rise in the boxing ring throughout the 1990s and her struggle with domestic abuse.
    Nigel Smith, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The lawsuit, which was first reported by Courthouse News, is one of the first of its kind and could set meaningful precedent for AI abuses in the future.
    Kyle Ingram, Charlotte Observer, 7 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Mudslinging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mudslinging. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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