CHARACTER ASSASSINATIONS Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

character assassination

noun

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 character assassination This pattern of postmortem character assassination functions as a foundational tactic of modern autocracy. — Kyle Varner, Washington Post, 2 Feb. 2026 Putting an exclamation point on that thought with a scene of Carol yelling at a group of joggers to get out of the way while listening to a self-motivation audiobook makes her character assassination feel heavy-handed this early on in the seven-episode run. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026 Political bullies also enjoy demeaning names and character assassination. — Arkansas Online, 16 Mar. 2026 This narrative that has been created, that image that anyone who speaks against a revolution is thrown into jail, that’s a big lie, that’s a slander, and that’s part of that construct, in order to vilify and to engage a character assassination of the Cuban Revolution. — NBC news, 12 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for character assassination

Recent Examples of Synonyms for character assassination

Noun

Jevremovic sued him for defamation in December but a judge threw out the case, citing that it hadn’t been filed in the correct jurisdiction.

— Mattha Busby, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026
His denials and claims about Carroll were central to her defamation allegations.

— Graham Kates, CBS News, 1 July 2026

Definition of defamation

Noun

Top United Nations official Vanessa Frazier is facing a furious backlash after spreading a sick, fake-news blood libel against Israel on social media.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
The complaint stated that Meta has declined to file a libel or defamation claim against Wynn-Williams.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026

Definition of libel

Noun

The legislation faced sharp criticism at home and abroad, and thousands of Slovaks repeatedly took to the streets to protest the law.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 July 2026
Asked about the greenwashing criticism, a Council spokesperson said companies active in the fossil fuel sector can still contribute to the transition, for example by developing low-carbon fuels or building electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

— Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026

Definition of criticism

Noun

Melvin Shimkus, 52, was arrested on a charge of vulnerable adult abuse after allegedly leaving his 31-year-old son, Hunter Shimkus, in a bathtub for seven weeks, according to local outlets, AZ Family, 12 News and Fox 10 TV, citing court documents.

— Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
There was a sense of hope in 2022 for women like Nakajima, an immigrant who sought safety in a new country and struggled with abuse from her family and strange men.

— Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026

Definition of abuse

Noun

After passing the Resolutions Committee of the South Dakota GOP, the censure was overwhelmingly voted down, with opponents saying the measure would only help Democrats.

— Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2026
The House’s periodic descent into politically motivated censure votes, however, could propel them to make a change next year.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 June 2026

Definition of censure

Noun

So far, several celebrities have been tied to the smearing.

— Gary Baum, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2026
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

Definition of smearing

Browse Nearby Words

character

character assassination

charactered

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Character assassination.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/character%20assassination. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of character assassination

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes