muckrake

verb

muck·rake ˈmək-ˌrāk How to pronounce muckrake (audio)

muckraked; muckraking; muckrakes

intransitive verb

: to search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business

muckraker

ˈmək-ˌrā-kər How to pronounce muckrake (audio)

noun

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Muckrake and John Bunyan

The noun muckrake (literally, a rake for muck, i.e., manure) rose out of the dung heap and into the realm of literary metaphor in 1684. That's when John Bunyan used it in Pilgrim's Progress to represent man's preoccupation with earthly things. "The Man with the Muckrake," he wrote, "could look no way but downward." In a 1906 speech, President Teddy Roosevelt recalled Bunyan's words while railing against journalists he thought focused too much on exposing corruption in business and government. Roosevelt called them "the men with the muck-rakes" and implied that they needed to learn "when to stop raking the muck, and to look upward." Investigative reporters weren't insulted; they adopted the term muckraker as a badge of honor. And soon English speakers were using the verb muckrake for the practice of exposing misconduct.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The biggest scandal of all exploded in 2015 when opposition politicians and muckraking journalists questioned what had happened to billions of dollars that had disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the country’s state investment fund.

New York Times, 15 May 2018 Mr Wolff’s muckraking skills, cattiness, cynicism and feel for human weakness, especially among the rich and famous, make him well-qualified for the job.

The Economist, 11 Jan. 2018 The biggest scandal of all exploded in 2015 when opposition politicians and muckraking journalists questioned what had happened to billions of dollars that had disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the country’s state investment fund.

New York Times, 15 May 2018 Years later, muckraking journalist Jack Anderson claimed that those three squirrels hadn’t been trapped.

John Kelly, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2018 Mr Wolff’s muckraking skills, cattiness, cynicism and feel for human weakness, especially among the rich and famous, make him well-qualified for the job.

The Economist, 11 Jan. 2018 It was also awarded three Pulitzer Prizes for investigative features on politics and corruption in the city, and was home to muckraking news reporters like Wayne Barrett and Tom Robbins.

Lukas I. Alpert, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2017 In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, independent media have been taken over by Kremlin-friendly figures and muckraking reporters have faced dismissals and even death.

Josef Federman, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017 In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, independent media have been taken over by Kremlin-friendly figures and muckraking reporters have faced dismissals and even death.

Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2017 See More

单词	muckraker
释义	muckrake verb muck·rake ˈmək-ˌrāk muckraked; muckraking; muckrakes intransitive verb : to search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business muckraker ˈmək-ˌrā-kər noun Did you know? Muckrake and John Bunyan The noun muckrake (literally, a rake for muck, i.e., manure) rose out of the dung heap and into the realm of literary metaphor in 1684. That's when John Bunyan used it in Pilgrim's Progress to represent man's preoccupation with earthly things. "The Man with the Muckrake," he wrote, "could look no way but downward." In a 1906 speech, President Teddy Roosevelt recalled Bunyan's words while railing against journalists he thought focused too much on exposing corruption in business and government. Roosevelt called them "the men with the muck-rakes" and implied that they needed to learn "when to stop raking the muck, and to look upward." Investigative reporters weren't insulted; they adopted the term muckraker as a badge of honor. And soon English speakers were using the verb muckrake for the practice of exposing misconduct. Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web The biggest scandal of all exploded in 2015 when opposition politicians and muckraking journalists questioned what had happened to billions of dollars that had disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the country’s state investment fund. New York Times, 15 May 2018 Mr Wolff’s muckraking skills, cattiness, cynicism and feel for human weakness, especially among the rich and famous, make him well-qualified for the job. The Economist, 11 Jan. 2018 The biggest scandal of all exploded in 2015 when opposition politicians and muckraking journalists questioned what had happened to billions of dollars that had disappeared from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the country’s state investment fund. New York Times, 15 May 2018 Years later, muckraking journalist Jack Anderson claimed that those three squirrels hadn’t been trapped. John Kelly, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2018 Mr Wolff’s muckraking skills, cattiness, cynicism and feel for human weakness, especially among the rich and famous, make him well-qualified for the job. The Economist, 11 Jan. 2018 It was also awarded three Pulitzer Prizes for investigative features on politics and corruption in the city, and was home to muckraking news reporters like Wayne Barrett and Tom Robbins. Lukas I. Alpert, WSJ, 22 Aug. 2017 In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, independent media have been taken over by Kremlin-friendly figures and muckraking reporters have faced dismissals and even death. Josef Federman, The Seattle Times, 10 Aug. 2017 In Vladimir Putin’s Russia, independent media have been taken over by Kremlin-friendly figures and muckraking reporters have faced dismissals and even death. Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2017 See More Word History Etymology obsolete muckrake, noun, rake for dung First Known Use 1879, in the meaning defined above muckraker noun as in journalist someone who tries to reveal information about prominent individuals behaving badly The newspaper used a team of seasoned muckrakers to expose the corruption at city hall. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance journalist reporter sportswriter newsman newspaperman photojournalist staffer correspondent stringer newspaperwoman pressman newshound newsperson broadcaster columnist newscaster police reporter anchorman newswoman announcer editor intelligencer anchorwoman commentator byliner anchorperson copyreader anchor
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muckrake

verb

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

noun