assassinate

/əˈsæsəˌneɪt/
verb
  1. To murder a prominent or important person, often for political or ideological reasons.
    • The secret plot to assassinate the president was discovered in time.
    • Historians still debate who ordered the plan to assassinate the archduke.
    • In the novel, the rebels try to assassinate the dictator during a public speech.
  2. To attack or destroy someone's character, reputation, or credibility through slander or false statements.
    • Instead of debating ideas, the critic chose to assassinate the author's integrity.
    • Politicians often attempt to assassinate their opponents' character during campaigns.
    • The tabloid tried to assassinate the actor's reputation with false stories.
Antonyms
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