The English Oracle

What is it called when someone attacks a person and the offender gets an even worse reputation?

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Chapters
00:00 What Is It Called When Someone Attacks A Person And The Offender Gets An Even Worse Reputation?
00:24 Answer 1 Score 38
00:36 Accepted Answer Score 33
00:52 Answer 3 Score 43
01:16 Answer 4 Score 8
01:23 Thank you

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Full question
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Tags
#singlewordrequests #idiomrequests

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ANSWER 1

Score 43


You could consider using the verb backfire which means:

(Of a plan or action) have an opposite and undesirable effect to what was intended: 'overzealous publicity backfired on her'.

Your example (You need to change the word order):

George's attack on John backfired on himself.

[Oxford Online Dictionary]




ANSWER 2

Score 38


George undermined himself by attacking John.

ie, 'mining' under what respect you have, causing your own self to 'fall'.




ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 33


George shot himself in the foot by attacking John.

To do or say something that inadvertently undermines one's interests.

TFD




ANSWER 4

Score 8


George scored an own-goal by attacking John.?