poisoned the well
Tainted the source
Poisoned the well is a rhetorical tactic where someone preemptively discredits a source or argument before it can be heard, making listeners distrustful of anything that follows.
The metaphor draws from the medieval practice of literally contaminating water supplies to harm enemies.
Before she could even present her findings, her rival poisoned the well by suggesting she had financial conflicts of interest.
The phrase often describes unfair or manipulative debate tactics.
- ad hominemArgument targeting character
- guilt-trippingInducing remorse deliberately
- red flagIndicator of danger
- bad faithIntentional deception in dealings
- framingStructural or contextual shaping
straw man · moving the goalposts · Trojan horse · dirty tactics · fearmongering · gaslighting · spin · cherry-picking · slippery slope · dog whistle · smoke and mirrors · false equivalence · loaded language · false dilemma · preemptive strike · discredit · red herring · appeal to emotion
poisoned the wellvouched for
Confirmed another's credibility
endorsed · built up · amplified · recommended · validated
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