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Definitions

character assassination

NOUN
attack someone's reputation
Synonyms
WEAK
ad hominem blackening dirty politics dirty pool dirty tricks hatchet job muckraking mudslinging name-calling personal attack slanderous attack smear smear campaign

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was a full-blooded attempt at character assassination, a branding of Rodgers as untrustful, a perpetrator of untruths, a spreader of falsehoods; divisive, misleading and unacceptable.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

When stories like this come out in the news, it can become a character assassination.

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2025

Journalist-turned-MP Sagarika Ghosh questioned the character assassination Chakraborty was subjected to.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2025

“These allegations are the worst form of character assassination on Lythgoe.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024

Once one of Appalachia’s wealthiest men, Blankenship has spent thousands on lawsuits alleging he has been the victim of defamation and character assassination, all of which have been rejected by courts — including the U.S.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 2024