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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of name-calling
Smith defended Barkley over his name-calling but did go after him for his opinion on ESPN's topic selection.
—
William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
The ugly name-calling and social media campaigns over the governor’s unilateral call in January for a special session on immigration were all but ignored, except for a brief mention by Perez during his opening remarks.
—Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2025
Zoom out: Bullying and harassment campaigns, which include everything from lawsuits to name-calling, are often easier and more effective than leveraging presidential powers.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Congress had one of its most unproductive and dysfunctional periods the past two years that featured leadership fights, name-calling and physical aggression among lawmakers and averting government shutdowns with just hours to spare.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for name-calling
William Lambers, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
The ugly name-calling and social media campaigns over the governor’s unilateral call in January for a special session on immigration were all but ignored, except for a brief mention by Perez during his opening remarks.
—Jeffrey Schweers, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2025
Zoom out: Bullying and harassment campaigns, which include everything from lawsuits to name-calling, are often easier and more effective than leveraging presidential powers.
—Sara Fischer, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Congress had one of its most unproductive and dysfunctional periods the past two years that featured leadership fights, name-calling and physical aggression among lawmakers and averting government shutdowns with just hours to spare.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for name-calling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for name-calling
Noun
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Baldoni has since sued The Times for libel, and the newspaper stood by its coverage.—
Benjamin VanHoose,
People.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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On New Year’s Eve, Baldoni and nine other plaintiffs, including his crisis publicist Melissa Nathan, sued the New York Times for $250 million for libel over their initial story about Lively’s allegations.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The commissioners held an executive session Monday, an hour before the district sent an email with the Tuesday censure agenda item.—
Nick Rosenberger,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2025
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Out of the privation, the challenge, and the censure of slavery and the unfulfilled promise of post-Reconstruction justice, Black musicians embraced experimentation and innovation, ingenuity and joy, and a multigenerational call and response speaking truth to power that endures to the present day.—
Elizabeth Alexander,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Even before the recent cuts, watchdog officials considered the agency's thin federal workforce, which oversees more than 60,000 contract employees, to be an an Achilles heel that poses significant risk of fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
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Authorities were called April 3 to Richmond Hill Elementary School in Augusta regarding a report of child abuse, the report says.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Name-calling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/name-calling. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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