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Synonyms

mudslinging

American  
[muhd-sling-ing] / ˈmʌdˌslɪŋ ɪŋ /

noun

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


mudslinging British  
/ ˈmʌdˌslɪŋɪŋ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • mudslinger noun

Etymology

Origin of mudslinging

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

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.

"The mudslinging on social media reminds many of us of the last Gulf rift... Now Riyadh is casting a very bright light on its problems with Abu Dhabi's regional policies, and is showing no signs of easing up."

From Barron's

This week’s mudslinging comes courtesy of the initial House documents—from the Epstein estate, or those the Justice Department didn’t mind parting with.

From The Wall Street Journal

"It's not been our finest 24 hours in government," one senior figure in government acknowledged to me, after mudslinging one way and another, some in public, plenty more in private.

From BBC

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

From BBC

Media mudslinging abounded on various social media platforms.

From Salon