mudslinging

American  

[muhd-sling-ing] / ˈmʌdˌslɪŋ ɪŋ /

noun

1. an attempt to discredit one's competitor, opponent, etc., by malicious or scandalous attacks.

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mudslinging British  

/ ˈmʌdˌslɪŋɪŋ /

noun

1. casting malicious slurs on an opponent, esp in politics

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Other Word Forms

• mudslinger noun

Etymology

Origin of mudslinging

First recorded in 1880–85; mud + sling ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

The judge’s order slims down the scope of the celebrities’ legal battle in a saga of public mudslinging that has gripped Hollywood since the hit film’s release almost two years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

But let's get to the aftermath of all that mudslinging.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

Campaign mudslinging is a political tradition as old as politics itself.

From New York Times • Mar. 25, 2024

Is there any clarity to come out of this mudslinging?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2024

One piece of the mudslinging was the Coffin Handbill, a famous campaign poster published by Adams supporters that showed rows of coffins and listed Jackson’s “bloody deeds”—his duels, the deaths of militiamen under his command.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis