Mud-sling

To make malicious, often untrue, accusations or criticisms against someone, especially in a political context, with the intention of damaging their reputation. This involves using derogatory language, spreading rumors, and highlighting perceived flaws to discredit an opponent. It can be a form of character assassination and is often employed to distract from substantive issues and influence public opinion negatively. The goal is to win by discrediting the opposition rather than presenting a strong platform.

Mud-sling meaning with examples

• During the heated election campaign, rival candidates engaged in vicious mud-slinging, attacking each other's past actions and personal lives, distracting from policy debates and causing widespread cynicism among voters. The negative campaigning strategy damaged both candidates' images.
• The media often indulges in mud-slinging, focusing on sensationalized personal scandals of celebrities, politicians, and public figures, and publishing misleading or distorted stories to boost their ratings, often without much regard for truth.
• When the company faced accusations of financial misconduct, its CEO responded by attempting to mud-sling the whistleblowers, attempting to undermine their credibility with personal attacks rather than addressing the concerns.
• Instead of discussing the proposed legislation, the opposing parties resorted to mud-slinging, highlighting minor transgressions from the past, which made it difficult to discuss the important issues the public expected.
• The internet has unfortunately created a breeding ground for mud-slinging, enabling anonymous trolls to engage in online harassment, spreading false information, and destroying people’s reputations with little accountability.