backbite

Characters backbite, bellyache, reluctantly pitch in and commit mundane acts of heroism in a largely believable manner, and there’s blessedly little inspirational speechmaking.

From New York Times ● Sep. 11, 2022

Diana could spin one delicious backbite like that into a column.

From Time Magazine Archive

The only thing in which all parties agreed was to backbite the manager, and cabal against his regulations.

From Tales of a Traveller by Washington Irving

All this while Michelangelo's enemies, headed by Nanni di Baccio Bigio, continued to calumniate and backbite.

From The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti by John Addington Symonds

But courteous gentlemen, that favor most, backbite none, and pardon what is overslipped, let such come and welcome; I'll into the steward's room, and fetch them a can of our best beverage.

From Rosalynde or, Euphues' Golden Legacy by Edward Chauncey Baldwin

Here's an unthankful spiteful wretch! the good gentleman vouchsafed to make him his companion, because my husband put him into a few rags, and now see how the unrude rascal backbites him!

From Every Man out of His Humour by Ben Jonson

One who backbites; a secret calumniator or detractor.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Noah Webster

It was only such as had reason to dread the secret communication between closet and housetop that feared her tongue; if she spoke loud, she never spoke false, or backbit in the dark.

From Malcolm by George MacDonald

He was the hero of London society, which adored and backbit him alternately, and he was precisely the man whom the boy Brummell would worship.

From The Wits and Beaux of Society Volume 2 by Philip Wharton

No worse than they are backbitten, sir; for they have     marvellous foul linen.

From The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare

Now we can't help being backbitten or talked about, but we can help doing it to others: the way, child, is to keep to ourselves and to see no one.

From Daisy Burns (Volume 2) by Julia Kavanagh

I overheard the aide-de-camp say; "he is a backbiting sneak, and I tell you again he's backbitten nobody more than he has you!"

From The Cavalier by George Washington Cable

I came here to try and do you a good turn, not to hear John Huish backbitten.

From A Double Knot by George Manville Fenn

I have no friend at Rome; I have laboured in England, to be misrepresented, backbitten and scorned.

From Outspoken Essays by William Ralph Inge

A man masters his emotions, remains calm under pressure, refuses to engage in gossip or backbiting and accepts his imperfections while continually striving to become the best version of himself.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

That kind of provocative behavior will lead to years, even a lifetime, of one-upmanship, backbiting and behind-the-scenes maneuvers.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2025

Mark and Dahlia discuss this news, and also how lower court judges are calling out SCOTUS’ unreasoned, incoherent opinions and how some of the Justices are trying to control, alt, delete all the backbiting.

From Slate ● Sep. 6, 2025

It is too much to blame a single individual, as despicable as Carlson may be, for leading a whole country into a slough of anger, backbiting, recrimination and mistrust.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2023

And while Ophie knew that the cousins couldn’t truly hate her—she’d barely exchanged two words with them before they’d declared war—it didn’t make the constant backbiting or tiny pinches any more bearable.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland