character assassinate

present singular third person character assassinates · participle present character assassinating · participle past character assassinated · past character assassinated

1. alternativeAlternative form of character-assassinate.

   Politics is ugly, it’s nasty, and it’s got even worse now because they character assassinate you before you even get in.

   2025 October 4, Simon Hattenstone, quoting Lionel Richie, “‘Politics is nasty. And it’s getting worse’: Lionel Richie on his worries for America, his friend Michael Jackson – and why he still believes in the power of love”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Oct 2025

   2 more examples

   I was disgusted when a senior member of staff at Gillcrest suggested you were “embellishing” your case. Quite the contrary, I found you to be honest and reasonable but found its attempt to character assassinate you a real cause for concern.

   2019 September 2, Katie Morley, “‘My flat is so damp there’s black mould on my bed sheets – yet the landlord says there’s no problem’”, in Chris Evans, editor, The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 Nov 2020

   Calling political opponents “groomers” is clearly the latest in an unoriginal conservative strategy to name-call and character assassinate the opposition, it’s that exact frivolity that is so dangerous and corrosive to the very real and devastating experience of sexual abuse.

   2022 May 31, Kendall Ciesemier, “Misusing Words Like ‘Groomer’ Isn’t Just Wrong; It’s Dangerous”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 May 2022