red-baiting
- noun
- /ˈrɛdˌbeɪtɪŋ/
- Offensive
:
caza de comunistas
- She learned her feminism in large part from observing both German and American racism and then the Mccarthyist red baiting that drove her husband out of his work.
Examples
-
Many activists faced red-baiting as a tactic to silence their voices in the 1950s.
-
Even domestically bred reformist ideologies would be suspect and subject to "red baiting."
Academic text (1996) -
The American people, according to the first version of the NHS, allowed themselves to succumb to "fears" of communism because of the country's tradition of "red-baiting."
Academic text (1996) -
With the support of its trade union base and increasing support from the Jamaican upper classes due to JLP red-baiting of the PNP, the JLP won the first two elections held under universal suffrage in 1944 and 1949.
Academic text (1992) -
The politician used red-baiting to undermine his opponent's credibility during the campaign.
-
The journalist highlighted instances of red-baiting to illustrate the climate of fear in the era.
Synonyms
16
5.5
An organized effort to hurt someone's reputation by making false or unfair accusations
11
8.5
A way of unfairly accusing people of being disloyal or dangerous without evidence
9
4.8
Making unfair personal attacks to damage someone's reputation in politics
Antonyms
How Damaging
- Formal
6
8.4
16
5.5
- Offensive
394
3.1
18
7.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Red-baiting comes from the colour red connected to communists and bait, meaning 'to lure' or 'to attack'. So, red-baiting (as a noun) is the act of accusing someone of being a communist to discredit or frighten them.