muck-rake Definition

muck-rake
verb

intr
1. colloq
Said eg of a journalist: to seek out and expose scandal.

Derivative: muck-raker
noun

Someone who seeks out and exposes scandal
Thesaurus: gossip, exposer, scandalmonger, meddler.

Derivative: muck-raking
noun

The practice of searching for and exposing scandal, especially about famous people.

Etymology: Early 20c in this sense, as a back formation from muck-raker; in the 17c muck-raker was used to mean ‘a miser' or sometimes, literally, someone who rakes muck.