as in to dismiss
to express scornfully one's low opinion of
she promptly bad-mouthed that awful movie to everyone she knew
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Recent Examples of bad-mouth
This was a departure from Mourinho and Conte, who both moaned about investment, attacked the club culture, exited unceremoniously, and bad-mouthed them afterward.
—
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The neighbor's negative response—bad-mouthing OP to others—reflects an entitlement mindset, Sprowl noted.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
The vulnerable Mayfair he’s sent to woo is new character Moira, who’s been getting on everybody’s nerves by bad-mouthing Lasher for second-degree murdering her sister Tessa.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
Apparently, Sue has been putting all of her time not already occupied by bad-mouthing Kyle into digging under rocks and cliffs looking for idols.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Leading up to the premiere of It Ends With Us last year, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached an uneasy truce in which it was agreed that neither side would bad-mouth the other to the press.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
John Legend isn't about to let anyone bad-mouth the people in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2024
He was eventually allowed in — but only after other SEALs threatened to leave and bad-mouth the bar.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Sabatini, a former state rep, has kissed up slavishly to Donald Trump, often by repeatedly bad-mouthing fellow Republicans — including Ron DeSantis — in an effort to curry favor with the former president.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The neighbor's negative response—bad-mouthing OP to others—reflects an entitlement mindset, Sprowl noted.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025
The vulnerable Mayfair he’s sent to woo is new character Moira, who’s been getting on everybody’s nerves by bad-mouthing Lasher for second-degree murdering her sister Tessa.
—Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 5 Jan. 2025
Apparently, Sue has been putting all of her time not already occupied by bad-mouthing Kyle into digging under rocks and cliffs looking for idols.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Leading up to the premiere of It Ends With Us last year, Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni reached an uneasy truce in which it was agreed that neither side would bad-mouth the other to the press.
—Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Mar. 2025
John Legend isn't about to let anyone bad-mouth the people in his hometown of Springfield, Ohio.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 13 Sep. 2024
He was eventually allowed in — but only after other SEALs threatened to leave and bad-mouth the bar.
—Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 21 June 2024
Sabatini, a former state rep, has kissed up slavishly to Donald Trump, often by repeatedly bad-mouthing fellow Republicans — including Ron DeSantis — in an effort to curry favor with the former president.
—Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel, 17 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bad-mouth
Verb
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Congressional Republicans, many of whom had also grown annoyed with Musk over the last few months, have largely dismissed the billionaire’s fiery opposition to the bill.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
6 June 2025
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For example, recent reports about the potential for automotive production to be curtailed due to rare earth mineral shortages should not be dismissed.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
6 June 2025
Verb
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Here are tips on how to stay safe during a thunderstorm: To minimize risk of being struck by lightning, when going outside, have a plan to get to a safer place.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
-
This includes employing a repeatable data migration approach that minimizes the risk of unsuccessful implementations and ensures high-quality data that aligns with business goals.—
Rajnish Nath,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Several Make America Great Again (MAGA) figures, such as Laura Loomer, are criticizing Democratic Minnesota Governor Tim Walz over his ties to the suspect in Saturday's deadly shooting.—
Mandy Taheri
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 June 2025
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Following the opening match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta between Canada and Argentina, Argentina’s players and head coach Lionel Scaloni criticized the playing surface.—
Melanie Anzidei,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
Verb
-
Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
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The perception that Iran’s military strength is significantly diminished will raise questions about the stability of its political system.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
Verb
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For some reason, backup quarterbacks who make decent money are often disparaged when they should be celebrated.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
5 June 2025
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The leader responded on social media, disparaging Springsteen, and the rocker made sure to include his speech on the EP — a move that may have helped turn it into a bestseller.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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This legislation would promote the St. Louis Cardinals and denigrate the Royals, who won two of three games last week at Busch Stadium. Schroer, who is representing St. Charles County, is either making a joke or doesn’t seem all that interested in tackling the difficult decisions in the state.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
9 June 2025
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Educate don't denigrate More than two-thirds of baby boomers want the next generation of inheritors to receive financial education to manage their inheritances responsibly.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
Verb
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Fearing their authority is being bypassed, supervisors sometimes retaliate – belittling ideas and withholding resources, for example – which stifles the very innovation that cross-silo collaborations can foster.—
ESMT Berlin,
Forbes.com,
16 June 2025
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Matt grows increasingly irritated when Sarah’s friends belittle his line of work — something that Rogen has experienced first-hand in real life while raising money with his wife for their Alzheimer’s charity.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bad-mouth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bad-mouth. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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