as in libel
the use of personal attacks or insults in order to undermine an opponent
the campaign quickly degenerated into name-calling rather than an intelligent discussion of the issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of name-calling
But when brought to the surface, where the water pressure isn’t high enough to maintain their shape, blobfish morph into the mushy creatures whose looks have been the subject of so much name-calling.
—
Peter Guo, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
Smith defended Barkley over his name-calling but did go after him for his opinion on ESPN's topic selection.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Disagreement between Maryland’s Democratic legislature and our former Republican governor was real but never descended into the name-calling and vitriol that defines so much of American politics.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2025
And absolutely no name-calling.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for name-calling
Peter Guo, NBC News, 19 Mar. 2025
Smith defended Barkley over his name-calling but did go after him for his opinion on ESPN's topic selection.
—William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Disagreement between Maryland’s Democratic legislature and our former Republican governor was real but never descended into the name-calling and vitriol that defines so much of American politics.
—Colin Pascal, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2025
And absolutely no name-calling.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for name-calling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for name-calling
Noun
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Lipstadt became famous—and was later portrayed onscreen by Rachel Weisz—for winning a judgment in a British court against the Holocaust denier David Irving, who had sued her for libel.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
22 Apr. 2025
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In February 2022, U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff rejected Palin's claims in a ruling issued while a jury deliberated, saying Palin had failed to show that the Times had acted out of malice, something required in libel lawsuits involving public figures.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Similarly, in the legal profession, lawyers who violate state bar codes of conduct are subject to discipline, such as censure, suspension, or loss of license to practice law.—
Paul Du Quenoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Mar. 2025
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Representative Lauren Boebert has criticized her colleague Representative Chrissy Houlahan, the Pennsylvania Democrat who introduced a motion of censure against the Colorado Republican on Monday.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The mystery surrounded a bunch of kids tasked with gathering information in order to save the nation trillions of dollars in waste, fraud and abuse.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2025
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The recent amendments to Maryland’s Child Victims Act, unveiled in a month dedicated to child abuse prevention awareness — April — are deeply troubling.—
Diana Philip,
Baltimore Sun,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Name-calling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/name-calling. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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