Synonyms

smear campaign

American

noun

a campaign to tarnish the reputation of a public figure, especially by vilification or innuendo.

smear campaign Idioms

An attempt to ruin a reputation by slander or vilification, as in This press agent is well known for starting smear campaigns against her clients' major competitors. This phrase was first recorded in 1938 and uses smear in the sense of “an attempt to discredit” or “slander.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The new chief has swerved between candid reflection over the department’s failures during the Palisades fire and lashing out at the media over what he has called a “smear” campaign against firefighters who bravely worked to put out the catastrophic blaze.

From Los Angeles Times

Jerí had previously apologised for the meetings, but denied any wrongdoing and accused his rivals of a public smear campaign.

From BBC

George denied the allegations and said he was the victim of a "smear campaign" aimed at covering up the actual reasons for his firing.

From BBC

The Center for Responsible Lending says the industry is “using false allegations as part of a smear campaign to distract from the clear harm caused by their products.”

From MarketWatch

Cizeron called this a "smear campaign" and "false information", and is taking legal action.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023