Thesaurus results for NAME-CALLING

name-calling

noun

ˈnām-ˌkȯ-liŋ

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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Examples 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 name-calling Policy proposals aside, there's been name-calling, vulgarity, and plain old meanness. —

Jon Lapook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024 Maximizers who call Trump a fascist are dismissed by the minimizers as either engaging in name-calling or forcing a facile parallel. —

Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024 What has happened to Black players has been a litany of name-calling and threats, to the point that some teams have had to increase security. —

Susan M. Shaw, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Through competitive games, the boys descended into hostility, engaging in name-calling, group segregation, and even singing derogatory songs. —

Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for name-calling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for name-calling

Noun

Defamation trials are rare in the U.S. due to constitutional protections for the press, which make proving libel difficult.

— Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Lively sued Baldoni for mental pain and anguish, severe emotional distress, and lost wages; Baldoni sued the New York Times for libel, alleging that the publication defamed him with its piece about the alleged PR campaign against Lively.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2025