drag through the mud

verb

To tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.

Similar
befoulmuddysullyassassinateaspersebackbitebadmouthbelibel
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Meanings

verbdrag through the mud (third-person singular simple present drags through the mud, present participle dragging through the mud, simple past and past participle dragged through the mud)

present singular third person drags through the mud · participle present dragging through the mud · participle past dragged through the mud · past dragged through the mud

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.

    Red Moon Monster: Ever since that cheesy movie dragged our names through the mud, life hasn't been the same!

    1999, “Red Moon Monsters”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), season 1, episode 6b

    Synonyms: befoul, muddy, sully, assassinate, asperse, backbite, badmouth, befoul

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo tarnish or spoil enough so that something or someone is no longer respectable.

Similar
befoulmuddysullyassassinateaspersebackbitebadmouthbefoulbelibelbesmirchbesmearbewrayblackenblameblazeblemishblotblurcalumniatecalumny

More synonyms by meaning

verbspeak unfavorably about

Similar
badmouthmaligntraduce
Broader
defameslandersmirch
Also see
badmouthdefamemaligntraduce

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Catalan arrossegar pel fang
  • arrossegar pel fangTranslations
Dutch door het slijk halen
  • door het slijk halenTranslations
Finnish vetää lokaan, loata
  • vetää lokaanTranslations
  • loataTranslations
French traîner dans la boue
  • traîner dans la boueTranslations
German in den Dreck ziehen
  • in den Dreck ziehenTranslations
Italian trascinare nel fango
  • trascinare nel fangoTranslations
Polish hańbić, zhańbić
  • hańbićTranslations
  • zhańbićTranslations
Portuguese arrastar pela lama
  • arrastar pela lamaTranslations
Russian смеша́ть с гря́зью
  • смеша́ть с гря́зью (smešátʹ s grjázʹju)Translations
Spanish dejar a la altura del betún
  • dejar a la altura del betúnTranslations
Swedish dra i smutsen
  • dra i smutsenTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

drag through the mud. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drag%20through%20the%20mud

MLA

“drag through the mud.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drag%20through%20the%20mud. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “drag through the mud,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/drag%20through%20the%20mud.

Source: drag through the mud on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.