Language guide

communistcommunistsmarxistmarxists

Charged when applied to people who do not describe themselves that way.

More neutral: describe the specific policy, progressive, socialist (if self-described)

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

cultcult-likecultistscultlike

Pathologizes political loyalty.

More neutral: movement, supporters, followers

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

dei hiredei hiresdiversity hire

Attributes an appointment to identity rather than merit without evidence.

More neutral: state the person's qualifications and role

Used mainly on the right

deplorables

Blanket moral judgement of a voting bloc.

More neutral: supporters of, voters who

Used mainly on the left

fascistfascists

A contested label that ends the argument rather than describing conduct.

More neutral: describe the specific policy or statement

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

freeloadersmoocherstakerswelfare cheatwelfare cheats

Assumes fraud or laziness.

More neutral: benefit recipients

Used mainly on the right

groomergroomers

Implies child sexual abuse without evidence; used as a political label for LGBTQ people and their allies.

More neutral: state the specific allegation and its evidence

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

gun nutgun nuts

Insult that dismisses a position by pathologizing the people who hold it.

More neutral: gun owner, gun-rights supporter

Used mainly on the left

illegal alienillegal aliens

Appears in some statutes but is widely read as dehumanizing; 'alien' frames people as foreign objects rather than residents.

More neutral: unauthorized immigrant, noncitizen without legal status

Used mainly on the right

illegals

Turns a legal status into a noun for a whole person. Most style guides, including AP, avoid it.

More neutral: people without legal status, unauthorized immigrants

Used mainly on the right

infestationvermin

Dehumanizing metaphor with a documented history in genocidal propaganda.

More neutral: name the group and the specific criticism

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

invadersinvasion

In an immigration context, frames migration as a military attack and people as enemies. Flagged when applied to migrants; military invasions are not charged.

More neutral: migrants, increase in border crossings

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

libtardlibtards

Slur combining a political label with an ableist insult.

More neutral: liberal, Democrat

Used mainly on the right

magatmagats

Slur that likens supporters to maggots.

More neutral: Trump supporters

Used mainly on the left

moonbatmoonbats

Slur.

More neutral: liberal, progressive

Used mainly on the right

nazinazis

Charged when used as a label for present-day opponents. References to the historical party or self-identified neo-Nazi groups are not charged.

More neutral: describe the specific position or act

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

race baiterrace baitersrace cardrace hustlerrace hustlersrace-baiting

Attributes cynical motive to discussion of race.

More neutral: civil rights activist, describe the statement

Used mainly on the right

snowflakesnowflakes

Used to dismiss objections as oversensitivity instead of answering them.

More neutral: critic, student, protester

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

terfterfs

Used as a slur; describe the position instead.

More neutral: gender-critical feminist, describe the position

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

terrorist sympathizerterrorist sympathizers

Attributes support for violence by association.

More neutral: name the group and what the person said

Used on both sides

thugthugs

Brands a person as inherently criminal before any finding, and has a long history of being applied disproportionately to Black men. Describe the alleged act instead.

More neutral: suspect, attacker, man, person

Used mainly on the right

trump derangement syndrome

Pathologizes disagreement.

More neutral: critics of Trump

Used mainly on the right

uncle tom

Racial slur used against Black conservatives.

More neutral: use the person's name and describe their position

Used mainly on the left

welfare queenwelfare queens

Racialized stereotype about public assistance.

More neutral: benefit recipient

Used mainly on the right

anti-democraticreactionariesreactionaryregressivetrumpismtrumpist

Verdict in place of description.

More neutral: describe the position

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

anti-science

Broad dismissal; name the finding in dispute.

More neutral: disputes (specific finding)

Used mainly on the left

anti-vaxanti-vaxxeranti-vaxxers

Lumps different positions (mandates, specific vaccines, all vaccines) into one pejorative.

More neutral: vaccine skeptic, opponent of vaccine mandates

Used mainly on the left

antisemiteantisemitesbigotbigotsislamophobeislamophobesracistracists

Sometimes accurate, always a conclusion. Show the words or actions that justify it.

More neutral: quote the statement and describe the act

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

authoritariandictatordictatorshipstrongman

Charged when applied to elected officials; describe the conduct. Accurate for unelected rulers.

More neutral: describe the specific actions

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

bigotedbigotryhate-filledhateful

Characterizes motive; quote the words.

More neutral: quote the statement

Used mainly on the left

christian nationalismchristofascismchristofascistchristofascists

Fuses a religion with fascism; describe the positions.

More neutral: describe the specific positions on religion and government

Used mainly on the left

christian nationalistchristian nationaliststheocrattheocrats

Applied loosely to religious conservatives; describe the positions.

More neutral: describe the specific positions on religion and government

Used mainly on the left

climate denierclimate deniersdenialismscience denierscience deniers

Echoes Holocaust denial; describe what is disputed.

More neutral: who disputes the scientific consensus on, skeptic of

Used mainly on the left

cognitively impaireddementedsenile

Medical diagnosis by a journalist.

More neutral: describe the specific incident; cite medical statements

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

controversial

Everything is controversial to someone; name the dispute.

More neutral: describe who objects and why

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

controversy-plaguedscandal-plaguedscandal-ridden

Stacks unspecified scandals into an epithet.

More neutral: who is under investigation for, who was criticized for

Used on both sides

convicted felon

Accurate, but recurring use as a prefix works as an epithet.

More neutral: use when relevant to the story, not as a standing epithet

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

corporate demcorporate democratcorporate democratscorporate dems

Attributes positions to donors rather than describing them.

More neutral: moderate Democrat, Democrat who accepts corporate donations (cite)

Used mainly on the left

corrupt

A conclusion; state the conduct.

More neutral: describe the allegation, charge or conviction

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

crooked

Accusation of criminality as an adjective.

More neutral: describe the allegation, charge or conviction

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

dangerous

Charged when applied to people or ideas; describe the risk.

More neutral: specify the risk and who says so

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

disgraced

Verdict as adjective; say what happened.

More neutral: former, who resigned after, who was convicted of

Used on both sides

dog whistledog-whistle

Attributes hidden intent; the reader deserves the evidence.

More neutral: explain what the phrase means to which audience

Used mainly on the left

election denierelection deniers

Compact label; state what the person actually claimed.

More neutral: who says the 2020 election was stolen, who disputes the results

Used mainly on the left

embattled

Implies a siege; describe the actual pressure.

More neutral: who faces (describe the criticism or investigation)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

extreme

Relative judgement presented as description.

More neutral: describe the position

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

extremistextremists

Relative label that tells the reader how to feel without saying what the person believes.

More neutral: describe the specific positions

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

failed

Charged when attached to a person or policy as an epithet ('failed governor'); describe the results.

More neutral: describe the outcomes

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

far leftfar-left

Applied inconsistently; readers cannot tell where the line is. Specify the positions.

More neutral: progressive, name the group or position

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

far rightfar-right

Applied inconsistently; readers cannot tell where the line is. Specify the positions.

More neutral: conservative, name the group or position

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

fringe

Dismisses a position by size; give the share.

More neutral: minority, held by (share) of

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

godlessheathenheathens

Religious condemnation as description.

More neutral: secular, nonreligious

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

hard-linehardlinehardlinerhardliners

Relative judgement; applied unevenly.

More neutral: describe the position

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

hate grouphate groups

A designation made by advocacy organizations; attribute it.

More neutral: designated a hate group by (name the organization)

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

homophobehomophobicmisogynistmisogynisticsexisttransphobetransphobicxenophobeand 1 more forms

Sometimes accurate, always a conclusion. Show the words or actions that justify it.

More neutral: quote the statement and describe the act

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

infamousnotorious

Judgement of reputation as fact.

More neutral: known for (describe)

Used on both sides

insurrectionistinsurrectionists

A legal characterization applied as a label; describe what the person did.

More neutral: participant in the January 6 attack, rioter

Used mainly on the left

lawless

A conclusion courts reach; describe the dispute.

More neutral: describe the specific action and the legal dispute

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

leftistleftists

Used mainly as a pejorative in US coverage.

More neutral: liberal, progressive, Democrat, name the position

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

leftist agendaliberal agendaradical leftradical leftistradical leftistssocialist agendawoke agendawoke mob

Escalating label used to signal disapproval rather than describe positions.

More neutral: name the group or the position

Used mainly on the right

maga cultmaga republicansradical rightright-wing extremistright-wing extremists

Escalating label used to signal disapproval rather than describe positions.

More neutral: name the group or the position

Used mainly on the left

maga extremistmaga extremistsultra magaultra-maga

Escalating label used to signal disapproval rather than describe positions.

More neutral: Trump-aligned, supporters of

Used mainly on the left

nativismnativistnativists

Historical pejorative applied to a policy position.

More neutral: supporter of immigration restrictions

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

neoconneocons

Often used as a pejorative rather than a description.

More neutral: supporter of interventionist foreign policy

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

neoliberalneoliberalismneoliberals

Used mainly as a pejorative; name the policy.

More neutral: describe the policy (deregulation, privatization, free trade)

Used mainly on the left

oligarcholigarchsoligarchyrobber baronrobber barons

Charged when applied to American business figures; describe the influence.

More neutral: billionaire, name the person and their influence

Used mainly on the left

patriots

Charged when used as a name for one political faction.

More neutral: supporters, protesters, participants

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

radicalradicals

Same as extremist: a verdict in place of a description.

More neutral: describe the specific positions

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

right-wingerright-wingerswingnutwingnuts

Pejorative shorthand.

More neutral: conservative, Republican, name the position

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

rinorinos

Insider insult (Republican In Name Only) that questions loyalty instead of describing a disagreement.

More neutral: Republican who opposes, moderate Republican

Used mainly on the right

traitortraitorstreasontreasonous

Treason is a specific crime; the label is an accusation.

More neutral: describe the act

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

twice impeachedtwice-impeached

Accurate, but recurring use as a prefix works as an epithet.

More neutral: use when relevant to the story, not as a standing epithet

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

tyrannicaltyrannytyrant

Historical extreme applied to policy disagreement.

More neutral: describe the policy

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

unelected

Judges, officials and advisers are unelected by design; the modifier delegitimizes.

More neutral: appointed, (omit)

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

unfit

A verdict; describe the concern.

More neutral: describe the concern and who raises it

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

virtue signalingvirtue-signaling

Attributes insincere motives that the writer cannot know.

More neutral: said, announced support for

Used mainly on the right

vulture capitalistvulture capitalistsvulture fundvulture fundswall street greed

Predator metaphor for an investor; name the firm and the transaction.

More neutral: private equity firm, hedge fund, name the firm

Used mainly on the left

war criminalwar criminals

A legal finding; attribute it unless a court has ruled.

More neutral: describe the alleged act and any charge or ruling

Used on both sides

warmongerwarmongeringwarmongers

Attributes a desire for war rather than describing a position.

More neutral: supporter of military action in, advocate of

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

white nationalistwhite nationalistswhite supremacistwhite supremacists

Accurate for self-identified groups; charged when applied by inference. Show the basis.

More neutral: describe the statements or affiliations that justify the label

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

claimedclaims

Signals doubt. Legitimate when the claim is disputed, but notice which side gets 'said' and which gets 'claimed'.

More neutral: said, stated

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

clapped backclaps backfired backfires backhit backhits back

Combat framing for a reply.

More neutral: responded, replied

Used on both sides

decimateddecimatesgutsguttedguttingslashedslashesslashing

Violent verbs for budget or staffing cuts; give the size.

More neutral: cut by (amount or percent), reduced

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

defieddefies

Implies the demand was legitimate.

More neutral: did not comply with, rejected

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

demolisheddemolishesevisceratedevisceratesshreddedshredsskeweredskewersand 2 more forms

Declares a winner in an argument the reader has not seen.

More neutral: criticized, argued against, disputed

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

destroyeddestroys

Charged when applied to debate or speech; literal destruction is not charged.

More neutral: criticized, rebutted

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

doubled downdoubles down

Implies stubbornness.

More neutral: repeated, reiterated

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

drew furysparked furysparked outragesparks furysparks outrage

Outrage from whom? Name the critics and their number.

More neutral: drew criticism from (name who)

Used on both sides

exposedexposes

Presumes wrongdoing was hidden.

More neutral: reported, revealed, showed

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

fawnedfawningfawnsgushedgushes

Mocks approval as excessive.

More neutral: praised, said

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

fumedfumesragedrages

Attributes an emotional state the writer usually cannot verify.

More neutral: said, objected, criticized

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

gaslightgaslighting

A psychological-abuse term applied to political disagreement.

More neutral: denied, contradicted the record by

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

goes aftertakes aim attook aim atwent after

Mild combat framing.

More neutral: criticized, questioned

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

groveledgrovelinggrovels

Ridicules a concession.

More neutral: apologized, conceded

Used on both sides

humiliatedhumiliateshumiliating

Attributes shame.

More neutral: defeated, criticized, lost to

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

lashed outlashes out

Implies loss of control.

More neutral: responded, criticized

Used on both sides

liedlieslying

Asserts intent to deceive, which a reporter can rarely prove. 'Falsely said' states the fact without the mind-reading.

More neutral: said falsely, made a false statement, claimed without evidence

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

meltdownmelted down

Ridicule in place of description.

More neutral: reacted, responded angrily

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

mockedmocks

Often accurate; notice when it replaces the content of the criticism.

More neutral: criticized, joked about

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

peddledpeddlespeddling

Frames the speaker as a huckster.

More neutral: promoted, argued, repeated

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

rantrantedrants

Dismisses the content by characterizing the delivery.

More neutral: said, spoke, posted

Used on both sides

refused torefuses to

'Refused' implies an obligation existed. Use 'declined' unless there was one.

More neutral: declined to, did not

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

rippedrips

Dramatizes ordinary criticism.

More neutral: criticized

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

schooledschools

Declares a winner in an exchange.

More neutral: disagreed with, corrected

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

scoffedscoffs

Attributes contempt.

More neutral: dismissed, rejected

Used on both sides

slammedslams

Adds force the quote may not have had. Report what was said.

More neutral: criticized, said

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

smear campaignsmearedsmears

Declares the criticism false without showing it.

More neutral: criticized, accused

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

snubbedsnubs

Attributes intent to insult.

More neutral: did not attend, did not invite

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

spewedspewingspews

Compares speech to vomit.

More neutral: said, posted

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

stormed offstormed outstorms out

Attributes anger.

More neutral: left, walked out

Used on both sides

toutedtouts

Implies salesmanship.

More neutral: promoted, cited

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

unleashedunleashes

Implies something violent or uncontrolled.

More neutral: announced, issued, began

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

vowedvows

Dramatizes an ordinary promise.

More neutral: said, promised, pledged

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

whinedwhineswhining

Belittles the complaint.

More neutral: complained, objected

Used on both sides

conspiracy theoriesconspiracy theoristconspiracy theoristsconspiracy theory

Ends the discussion by labeling; state the claim.

More neutral: describe the claim and the evidence against it

Used on both sides

corporate media

Dismisses reporting by ownership rather than by evidence.

More neutral: major news organizations, name the outlet

Used mainly on the left

crooked hillarycrooked joedementia joelet's go brandonsleepy joe

Nickname insult.

More neutral: use the person's name

Used mainly on the right

deep state

Implies a coordinated conspiracy inside government without naming who or what.

More neutral: career officials, the civil service, intelligence agencies

Used mainly on the right

democrat party

Deliberate misnaming used as a slight; the party's name is the Democratic Party.

More neutral: Democratic Party

Used mainly on the right

disinformationmisinformation

These are conclusions. Readers deserve the specific claim and why it is wrong.

More neutral: state which claim is false and cite the evidence

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

drain the swampthe swamp

Metaphor that treats all of government as corrupt by default.

More neutral: Washington, lobbyists and officials

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

extremist supreme courtfar-right supreme courtillegitimate courtillegitimate supreme courtrogue courtstolen court

Declares an institution illegitimate because of its rulings or composition.

More neutral: the Supreme Court, the court's conservative majority

Used mainly on the left

fake news

Dismisses reporting wholesale; a false claim should be identified specifically.

More neutral: inaccurate report, say what is false and how you know

Used mainly on the right

genocide joe

Nickname insult.

More neutral: use the person's name

Used mainly on the left

globalistglobalists

Has a long history as an antisemitic dog whistle; specify the policy position instead.

More neutral: supporter of international trade, internationalist

Used mainly on the right

hoax

Declares something fabricated; show the evidence instead.

More neutral: claim, allegation, disputed report

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

kangaroo court

Declares proceedings a farce.

More neutral: court, hearing, committee

Used on both sides

lamestream medialeftist medialiberal mediaregime media

Dismisses reporting by presumed politics rather than by evidence.

More neutral: name the outlet

Used mainly on the right

legacy mediamainstream mediathe msm

Charged when used as a pejorative for coverage the writer dislikes.

More neutral: major news organizations, name the outlet

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

maga courtmaga judgemaga judgestrump judgetrump judges

Implies the judge rules for the appointer; state the appointment and the ruling.

More neutral: judge appointed by President Trump

Used mainly on the left

partisan hackpartisan hacks

Insult in place of a critique.

More neutral: commentator, official

Used on both sides

propaganda

Charged when applied to opponents' communications without showing what is false.

More neutral: messaging, campaign, describe the specific claim

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

puppetpuppet regimepuppet statepuppets

Denies agency to describe an alliance.

More neutral: ally, appointee, government backed by

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

purportedpurportedly

Signals doubt without stating why.

More neutral: described as, according to

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

regime

Charged when applied to elected governments; a neutral term for unelected authoritarian ones.

More neutral: government, administration

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

rogue judgerogue prosecutorrogue prosecutors

Declares an official illegitimate without describing the conduct.

More neutral: prosecutor, judge

Used mainly on the right

rubber stamprubber-stamprubber-stamped

Declares deliberation fake.

More neutral: approved, confirmed

Used on both sides

self-describedself-proclaimedself-styled

Implies the description is undeserved. Sometimes accurate; check whether it is applied evenly.

More neutral: describe actual credentials or role

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

sham

Declares a process illegitimate without saying why.

More neutral: describe the process and the objection

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

shillshillingshills

Attributes corrupt motive to advocacy.

More neutral: supporter, spokesperson, paid advocate

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

so-called

Sneer quotes in word form.

More neutral: (omit)

Used on both sides

state mediastate tvstate-run media

Charged when applied to domestic independent outlets; accurate for government-controlled broadcasters.

More neutral: name the outlet and its funding

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

the establishment

Undefined opponent; say who.

More neutral: party leadership, incumbents, name the institutions

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

unelected bureaucratunelected bureaucratsunelected officials

Most government staff are unelected by design; the modifier is there to delegitimize.

More neutral: officials, civil servants, agency staff

Used mainly on the right

witch huntwitch-hunt

Declares an investigation illegitimate before it concludes.

More neutral: investigation, inquiry

Used on both sides

apartheid

Charged when applied outside historical South Africa; attribute it.

More neutral: attribute the characterization and describe the policies

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

assault on democracyattack on democracythreat to democracywar on democracy

Conclusion stated as description; say what was done.

More neutral: describe the specific action and its legal status

Used mainly on the left

assault weaponassault weaponsweapons of war

Contested category without a stable technical definition; name the firearm.

More neutral: semi-automatic rifle, name the firearm type

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

attack on trans kidsattack on trans rightsattacks on trans kidsattacks on trans youthwar on trans people

Combat framing for a policy; describe the measure.

More neutral: describe what the bill or policy does

Used mainly on the left

attempted coupcoup attempt

Legal and historical characterization; describe the conduct and note who uses the term.

More neutral: effort to overturn the election results, describe the actions

Used mainly on the left

austerity

Opponents' name for spending cuts.

More neutral: spending cuts of (amount)

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

bailoutbailouts

Implies undeserved rescue; describe the terms.

More neutral: government loan, rescue package of (amount)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

ballot harvesting

Pejorative for a legal practice in many states.

More neutral: third-party ballot collection

Used mainly on the right

banned booksbook banbook banningbook bans

Opponents' name for removal decisions that range from one school shelf to statewide rules; say what was removed and by whom.

More neutral: removal of books from school libraries or curricula (say which, where)

Used mainly on the left

bathroom billbathroom bills

Nickname; describe what the bill requires.

More neutral: bill restricting restroom use by sex assigned at birth

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

bidenflationplandemic hoaxrussia hoax

Conclusion fused into a name.

More neutral: inflation, the Russia investigation

Used mainly on the right

big agbig oilbig pharmabig tech

Implies a monolithic conspiracy; name who did what.

More neutral: name the companies

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

big governmentjob killingjob-killingnanny statered tapewelfare state

Slogan in place of a policy description.

More neutral: describe the regulation or program and its measured effects

Used mainly on the right

billionaire classthe 1%the one percentthe top 1%the ultra-wealthy

Class label as villain; quantify.

More neutral: households earning above (amount), name the people

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

biological femalebiological malebiological menbiological women

Contested framing; the neutral option names the person's identity and, where relevant, sex assigned at birth.

More neutral: transgender woman, transgender man, person assigned male at birth

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

birthing peoplebirthing personpeople who menstruatepregnant people

Inclusive phrasing that many readers, including left-of-center ones, find obscuring. The opposing vocabulary is flagged too.

More neutral: pregnant women, women and transgender men who are pregnant (when relevant)

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

bloatedrunaway spendingspending spreetax and spendtax-and-spendwasteful spending

Verdict on spending in place of the figure.

More neutral: spending of (amount), describe the program

Used mainly on the right

book burnersbook burning

Equates removal decisions with historical book burnings.

More neutral: removal of books from school libraries (say which, where)

Used mainly on the left

boys in girls' sportsgender confusedgender confusionmen in women's sportssex change

Opponents' framing of transgender identity and participation; describe the policy.

More neutral: transgender athletes in women's sports, name the procedure, gender dysphoria

Used mainly on the right

cancel culturecanceled by the mobcancelled

Frames consequences as persecution; state what happened.

More neutral: was fired, lost a contract, faced criticism

Used mainly on the right

caravan of migrantsmigrant caravan

Evokes an organized march; give the number.

More neutral: group of migrants, (number) migrants traveling together

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

catch and releasecriminal aliencriminal aliensmigrant crime

Links immigration status and crime in the label; give the data.

More neutral: noncitizens convicted of crimes, crimes by (give data), release pending a hearing

Used mainly on the right

chain migration

Pejorative rebranding of the legal family-sponsorship system.

More neutral: family-based immigration

Used mainly on the right

children in cageskids in cages

Slogan; describe the facilities and conditions.

More neutral: children held in detention facilities (describe conditions)

Used mainly on the left

china viruskung fluwuhan virus

Attaches a nationality to a disease; the virus has a name.

More neutral: COVID-19, the coronavirus

Used mainly on the right

clean energy

Value judgement in the name; name the source.

More neutral: renewable energy, low-carbon energy, name the source

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

climate crisisclimate emergency

Advocacy framing that asserts urgency in the name of the phenomenon.

More neutral: climate change

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

climate hoaxclimate scamgreen new scam

Declares the science fraudulent.

More neutral: climate change, climate policy

Used mainly on the right

climate justiceenvironmental justice

Advocacy framing; describe the measure.

More neutral: describe the policy and who it affects

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

common sense gun lawscommon-sense gun lawscommonsense gun lawscommonsense gun reform

Asserts that opposing the proposal is senseless.

More neutral: proposed gun regulations (describe them)

Used mainly on the left

concentration campconcentration camps

Charged when applied to present-day detention; historical references are not charged.

More neutral: detention facility, detention center

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

constitutional carry

Advocacy name asserting a constitutional conclusion.

More neutral: permitless carry

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

corporate greed

Attributes motive; report the numbers.

More neutral: describe the pricing or profit claim

Used mainly on the left

corporate pollutersdirty energyfossil fuel interestspolluters

Villain label; name who emitted what.

More neutral: name the companies and the emissions

Used mainly on the left

corporate welfare

Reverses the welfare stigma onto companies; give the amount.

More neutral: subsidy of (amount) to (company), tax credit for

Used on both sides

court packingcourt-packingpack the court

Opponents' name for the proposal.

More neutral: expanding the Supreme Court, adding justices

Used mainly on the right

critical race theory

An academic framework whose name is applied loosely to any discussion of race; describe what is actually taught.

More neutral: describe the curriculum or training

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

cultural marxismcultural marxistcultural marxists

Conspiracy-theory term with antisemitic origins.

More neutral: describe the idea being criticized

Used mainly on the right

dark money

Common shorthand, but the reader deserves the mechanism.

More neutral: undisclosed donors, spending by groups that do not disclose donors

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

death tax

Coined to make an inheritance tax sound like a tax on dying. The statutory name is estate tax.

More neutral: estate tax

Used mainly on the right

demographic replacementgreat replacementreplacement theory

Name of a white-nationalist conspiracy theory; charged when used as a description rather than reported on.

More neutral: immigration levels (give data), attribute: 'the conspiracy theory known as'

Used mainly on the right

don't say gay

Opponents' nickname for the law; use its name and describe what it restricts.

More neutral: Florida's Parental Rights in Education law

Used mainly on the left

election fraudvoter fraud

Charged when asserted without cases or findings; cite them.

More neutral: (number) cases of illegal voting, allegations of fraud, which (courts/officials) found

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

election integrity

Everyone claims integrity; describe the rule.

More neutral: describe the specific voting rule

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

energy dominanceenergy independencereliable energy

Slogan framing for fossil fuel production; describe the policy.

More neutral: domestic oil and gas production, name the source

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

entitlement programsentitlements

Budget term that, in political use, frames earned benefits as handouts.

More neutral: Social Security and Medicare, benefit programs

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

environmental racism

Attributes a measured disparity to racism in the name; report the disparity and who attributes it to what.

More neutral: describe the disparity in exposure and cite the data

Used mainly on the left

erasing trans peopletrans erasuretrans genocide

Equates policy with mass killing or elimination; describe the measure.

More neutral: describe what the law or policy does

Used mainly on the left

ethnic cleansing

Report who applies the term and on what basis.

More neutral: forced displacement of (who), attribute the characterization

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

executed by policemurdered by policepolice murder

Murder is a legal finding; before a verdict, 'killed' is accurate.

More neutral: killed by police, shot by an officer

Used mainly on the left

experimental vaccineexperimental vaccinesjabsthe jab

Casual or misleading names for an authorized vaccine.

More neutral: the vaccine, COVID-19 vaccine

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

fake electors

Widely used, including in indictments; the opposing euphemism is flagged too.

More neutral: people who signed certificates claiming to be electors

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

family valuespro-familyreal americanssilent majoritytraditional values

Implies the other side opposes families or is not truly American.

More neutral: describe the position or the group

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

fetal heartbeatheartbeat billheartbeat law

Advocacy name; medical groups say the term is inaccurate at six weeks.

More neutral: six-week abortion ban, ban after embryonic cardiac activity is detectable

Used mainly on the right

forced birthforced birtherforced-birth

Opponents' characterization applied as a name.

More neutral: abortion ban, anti-abortion

Used mainly on the left

free stufffreebiesgiveawaygiveawayshandouthandouts

Frames public benefits as undeserved.

More neutral: benefit, subsidy, payment

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

freedom fighterfreedom fighters

Endorses a side's cause in the noun.

More neutral: fighter, rebel, name the group

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

gay agendagroomer agendahomosexual agendalgbt agendatrans agenda

Asserts a coordinated plan by a minority group.

More neutral: describe the policy or curriculum

Used mainly on the right

gender affirming caregender-affirming care

Advocates' umbrella term; the neutral move is to name the treatment. The opposing vocabulary is flagged too.

More neutral: describe the specific treatment (puberty blockers, hormones, surgery)

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

gender ideologytrans ideologytransgenderism

Recasts an identity as a doctrine.

More neutral: transgender identity, policies on transgender people

Used mainly on the right

genocidalgenocide

A legal determination with a specific definition. Report who applies the term and on what basis unless a competent body has ruled.

More neutral: attribute the characterization: 'which (who) has called a genocide'

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

giveaway to the richtax breaks for billionairestax cuts for the rich

Conclusion stated as a name; give the distribution.

More neutral: tax cuts (specify who benefits and by how much)

Used mainly on the left

gop tax scammaga tax scamtrump slumptrump tax scam

Conclusion fused into a name.

More neutral: the 2017 tax law, the economic slowdown

Used mainly on the left

government schoolsgovernment-run schools

Rebranding meant to make public schools sound coercive.

More neutral: public schools

Used mainly on the right

government takeover

Caricatures regulation as seizure.

More neutral: describe the regulation or program

Used mainly on the right

greedflationpredatoryprofiteeringprofiteersslumlordslumlords

Attributes motive; report the conduct.

More neutral: describe the practice, the prices and any legal finding

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

greenwashingpinkwashingsportswashing

Accusation of deceptive branding; show the evidence.

More neutral: describe the claim and the evidence that it is misleading

Used mainly on the left

gun confiscationgun grabgun grabbers

Characterizes regulation as seizure; say what the proposal does.

More neutral: describe the specific proposal

Used mainly on the right

gun lobby

Faceless villain; name the organizations.

More neutral: the NRA, gun-rights groups

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

gun safety lawsgun safety legislation

Advocacy rebranding of gun control; describe the measure.

More neutral: gun regulations, describe the measure

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

illegal immigrantillegal immigrantsillegal immigration

Applies 'illegal' to a person rather than an act. The opposing euphemism is flagged too.

More neutral: immigrant without legal status, unauthorized immigrant, unauthorized immigration

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

indoctrinatingindoctrination

Asserts that teaching is propaganda without showing the content.

More neutral: describe the curriculum or lesson

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

institutional racismracial reckoningstructural racismsystemic racism

A contested explanatory framework; report the measured disparity and who attributes it to what.

More neutral: describe the disparity and cite the data

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

insurrection

A legal term with specific meaning; describe the event and note who uses the term.

More neutral: attack on the Capitol, riot at the Capitol

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

jim crow 2.0new jim crow

Equates a contested rule with segregation-era law.

More neutral: describe the specific voting rule

Used mainly on the left

job creators

Assumes an economic outcome in the label.

More neutral: employers, business owners, high earners

Used mainly on the right

justified shooting

A legal finding; attribute it to whoever made it.

More neutral: shooting that (authority) ruled justified, shooting under investigation

Used mainly on the right

late capitalismlate stage capitalismlate-stage capitalism

Assumes capitalism is ending; describe the condition.

More neutral: describe the economic condition

Used mainly on the left

late term abortionlate-term abortion

Not a medical term; specify the gestational age.

More neutral: abortion after (specify) weeks

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

latinx

Used mainly by institutions; polls show most people it describes do not use it.

More neutral: Latino, Hispanic

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

law abiding gun ownerslaw-abiding gun owners

Pre-judges the group's conduct to argue against regulation.

More neutral: gun owners

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

law and ordertough on crime

Slogan in place of a policy description.

More neutral: describe the policing or sentencing policy

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

living wagepoverty wagesstarvation wages

Advocacy framing; give the number.

More neutral: wages of (amount) an hour

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

mansplainedmansplainingpunching downtoxic masculinitywhite privilege

Concept from advocacy and academia used as an everyday label; describe what happened.

More neutral: describe the behaviour or the disparity

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

medical freedomparental rightsreligious freedomreligious liberty

Advocacy name that frames the opposing side as against a freedom; describe the measure.

More neutral: describe the exemption or the bill

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

modern sporting riflemodern sporting rifles

Industry rebranding that emphasizes sport over the weapon's design.

More neutral: semi-automatic rifle

Used mainly on the right

muslim ban

Opponents' name for the policy; describe which countries and what restrictions.

More neutral: travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries

Used mainly on the left

mutilatemutilating childrenmutilation

Charged when applied to medical procedures; describe the procedure.

More neutral: surgery, name the procedure

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

obamacare

Began as a pejorative nickname; now common, but the law has a name.

More neutral: the Affordable Care Act

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

occupationoccupied territoriesoccupier

Contested in some conflicts and standard international usage in others; specify.

More neutral: specify the territory and legal status (many bodies use 'occupied'; others dispute it)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

open bordersopen-borders

Almost no one advocates literally open borders; the phrase caricatures the position.

More neutral: describe the specific immigration policy

Used mainly on the right

partial birth abortionpartial-birth abortion

Political, not medical, term coined by opponents.

More neutral: intact dilation and extraction, a late-term abortion procedure

Used mainly on the right

peaceful protesters

Pre-judges contested facts about a protest.

More neutral: protesters (describe what they did)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

plandemicscamdemic

Asserts a conspiracy in the noun.

More neutral: the pandemic

Used mainly on the right

police brutality

Conclusion about the force used; describe the incident and any finding.

More neutral: police use of force, describe the incident

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

price gouging

A legal term in some states; otherwise an accusation. Give the numbers.

More neutral: price increases of (amount)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

prison industrial complexprison-industrial complexschool to prison pipelineschool-to-prison pipeline

Activist framing that asserts a system and an intent; describe the policy.

More neutral: describe the discipline or incarceration policy and its measured effects

Used mainly on the left

pro-abortion

Implies enthusiasm for abortion rather than support for its legality.

More neutral: abortion-rights supporters, supports legal abortion

Used mainly on the right

pro-choice

Self-chosen label that frames opponents as anti-choice. AP style uses abortion-rights.

More neutral: abortion-rights, supports legal abortion

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

pro-hamas

Attributes support for a designated terrorist group to protesters who may not express it.

More neutral: pro-Palestinian, critics of Israel's war in Gaza

Used mainly on the right

pro-life

Self-chosen label that frames opponents as anti-life. AP style uses anti-abortion.

More neutral: anti-abortion, opposes abortion rights

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

purging votersvoter purgevoter purges

Opponents' name for roll maintenance or removals; give the number and the reason stated.

More neutral: removal of (number) names from the voter rolls

Used mainly on the left

riggedrigged electionstolenstolen election

Asserts fraud; report the specific claim and the evidence. Flagged only in election contexts; theft stories are not charged.

More neutral: disputed election, claims without evidence that

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

right to workright-to-work

Advocacy name; describe what the law does.

More neutral: laws barring mandatory union fees

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

riotriotersriotingriots

Charged when applied to protests with limited violence; describe what occurred. Legally defined riots are not charged.

More neutral: protest, unrest, describe the violence and its scale

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

sanctuary citiessanctuary city

Widely used, but the word 'sanctuary' overstates what the policies do.

More neutral: city that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

school choice

Advocacy name; describe the mechanism.

More neutral: vouchers, public funding for private school tuition, charter school expansion

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

settler colonialsettler colonialismsettler colonysettler-colonialsettler-colonial state

Academic framework used as an accusation; attribute it.

More neutral: attribute the characterization and describe the history

Used mainly on the left

socialized medicine

Cold War framing for public health insurance.

More neutral: single-payer health care, government-run insurance

Used mainly on the right

soft on crime

Slogan in place of a policy description.

More neutral: describe the sentencing or bail policy

Used mainly on the right

stochastic terrorismstochastic terrorist

Attributes responsibility for violence to speech; show the link.

More neutral: describe the statement and any documented link to violence

Used mainly on the left

stolen seatstolen supreme court seat

Accusation stated as fact.

More neutral: the seat filled after the Senate declined to consider (nominee)

Used mainly on the left

tax cheattax cheatstax dodgertax dodgerstax scam

Accusation of wrongdoing; legal avoidance and illegal evasion are different things.

More neutral: describe the tax strategy and its legality

Used mainly on the left

tax relief

Frames taxes as an affliction.

More neutral: tax cut

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

terrorismterroristterrorists

Applied unevenly across conflicts. Neutral coverage names the group and notes who designates it.

More neutral: attacker, gunman, militant, name the group; note official designations

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

the big lie

Label for a claim; state the claim.

More neutral: the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen

Used mainly on the left

trickle down economicstrickle-down

Opponents' name for the policy.

More neutral: supply-side, tax cuts on high incomes

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

unborn babiesunborn babyunborn childunborn children

Advocacy framing that presupposes personhood; medical term is fetus. Both vocabularies carry a position.

More neutral: fetus, pregnancy

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

union busterunion bustingunion-busting

Accusation; describe the conduct and any legal finding.

More neutral: opposition to the union drive (describe the actions)

Used mainly on the left

uprising

Endorses the protest's cause in the noun.

More neutral: protests, unrest

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

voter suppression

Conclusion about intent and effect; describe the rule.

More neutral: describe the specific voting rule and its effect

Used mainly on the left

war on christianswar on christmaswar on faith

Combat metaphor for a cultural disagreement.

More neutral: describe the specific dispute

Used mainly on the right

war on coalwar on energywar on fossil fuels

Combat metaphor for regulation.

More neutral: regulations on coal plants (describe them)

Used mainly on the right

war on women

Combat metaphor for a policy disagreement.

More neutral: describe the specific policies

Used mainly on the left

white fragilitywhite ragewhitelash

Attributes a reaction to race; describe what people said or did.

More neutral: describe the reaction and who is reacting

Used mainly on the left

woke

Used as a catch-all pejorative; the reader cannot tell what is actually being criticized.

More neutral: name the policy or statement

Used mainly on the rightHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

zionistzionists

Charged when used as a pejorative or a stand-in for Jews; neutral as a self-description.

More neutral: supporter of Israel, Israeli government

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

chillingdisturbinghorrifyingterrifying

Emotional instruction to the reader.

More neutral: (omit) and describe the facts

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

circusclown showdumpster firetrain wrecktrainwreck

Ridicule in place of reporting.

More neutral: describe what happened

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

collapsedcrateredplummetedplummetingplunged

Motion verbs hide the actual change; give the number.

More neutral: fell (amount or percent)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

crazyderangedinsanelunaticpsychoticunhinged

Diagnoses the speaker instead of quoting them.

More neutral: (omit) and quote the statement

Used on both sides

crisis

Overused to the point of meaninglessness; quantify.

More neutral: give the numbers and the trend

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

despicabledisgustingrepugnantvile

Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.

More neutral: (omit) and quote or describe

Used on both sides

enormousepichugemassive

Size words without a size.

More neutral: give the number

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

epidemic of gun violencegun violence epidemic

Disease metaphor asserting scale; quantify.

More neutral: give the numbers and the trend

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

evilmonstermonstrous

Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.

More neutral: describe the act

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

explodedskyrocketedskyrocketingsoaredsoaringsurgesurgessurging

Motion verbs hide the actual change; give the number.

More neutral: rose (amount or percent)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

historicunprecedented

Often inaccurate; say what the precedent is.

More neutral: the first since (year), the largest since (year)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

mob

Implies violence and irrationality; describe the crowd and its actions.

More neutral: crowd, group of (number) protesters

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

outrageoutrageous

Whose outrage? Name them.

More neutral: (omit), criticism from (name)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

downsizingrestructuringrightsizing

Corporate phrasing that hides job losses.

More neutral: layoffs, cutting (number) jobs

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

eliminatedneutralizeneutralized

Hides a death.

More neutral: killed

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

enhanced interrogation

Coined to avoid the legal term.

More neutral: torture (as defined under international law), describe the techniques

Used mainly on the right

houselesspeople experiencing homelessnessthe unhousedunhoused

Advocacy rewording; the plain term is clear and not an insult.

More neutral: homeless people

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

justice involvedjustice-involvedreturning citizenssystem-impacted

Softens the fact of conviction or incarceration until the meaning is unclear.

More neutral: people with criminal records, people released from prison

Used mainly on the left

kinetic actionkinetic military actionkinetic strike

Jargon that hides violence.

More neutral: military strike, attack

Used on both sides

misspoke

Frames a false statement as a slip.

More neutral: said incorrectly, made a false statement

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

mostly peaceful

Widely mocked because it can minimize violence; give both facts.

More neutral: describe both the protest and any violence

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

officer involved shootingofficer-involved shooting

Police public-relations phrasing that removes the actor from the sentence.

More neutral: police shot, an officer shot

Used on both sides

passed away

Gentle in obituaries; in news it can soften responsibility. Low severity.

More neutral: died

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

precision strikesurgical strike

Asserts precision the reporter cannot verify.

More neutral: airstrike, missile strike

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

reproductive freedomreproductive health carereproductive rights

Umbrella phrase that avoids the word at issue. The opposing side's vocabulary is flagged too.

More neutral: abortion rights, abortion and contraception access

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

revenue enhancementrevenue measures

Hides a tax increase.

More neutral: tax increase

Used on both sides

undocumentedundocumented immigrantundocumented immigrants

Softens the legal situation; many have documents, just not authorization. The opposing term is flagged too.

More neutral: immigrant without legal status, unauthorized immigrant

Used mainly on the leftHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

are said tois said to

Passive voice hiding the source.

More neutral: say who says so

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

critics arguecritics claimcritics contendcritics saycritics warn

Which critics, and how many? The reader cannot weigh an unnamed source.

More neutral: name the critics

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

it has been suggestedit is suggested

Passive voice hiding the source.

More neutral: say who suggested it

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

it is believedit is thoughtit is understoodit's believed

Passive voice hiding the source.

More neutral: say who believes it

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

many arguemany believemany fearmany feelmany say

'Many' is a number the writer did not count.

More neutral: cite a poll or name who

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

questions have been raisedquestions remainraises questionsraising questions

The writer is raising the question while pretending someone else did.

More neutral: state the question and who is asking

Used on both sides

some arguesome believesome claimsome say

'Some' can mean one person on social media.

More neutral: name who

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

special interests

Everyone's opponents are special interests; name them.

More neutral: name the groups

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

widely consideredwidely regarded aswidely seen aswidely viewed as

Consensus asserted without evidence.

More neutral: by whom? cite

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

no doubtthere is no questionthere's no doubtwithout a doubt

Announces certainty instead of demonstrating it.

More neutral: (omit)

Used on both sidesHighlighted only when Mantle’s AI confirms it is loaded where it appears.

settled sciencethe science is settled

Even strong consensus has specifics; cite them.

More neutral: cite the studies and the level of consensus

Used mainly on the left