Sealioning
Etymology
A modern coinage from a 2014 webcomic (Wondermark) featuring a sea lion who follows a character around insistently demanding debate. The strip’s image gave the behavior its name — a pure internet-era neologism.
noun · /SEE-ly-un-ing/
Harassing someone under the guise of polite, relentless requests for evidence and debate.
What it names
The bad-faith tactic that weaponizes civility — wearing a target down with earnest-sounding questions that never stop.
Example
Every reply was another "just asking questions" — textbook sealioning meant to exhaust her, not to learn.
Related idea
Like a motte-and-bailey, sealioning uses the appearance of reasonableness as cover for something else.