definitions

smear campaign

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR smear campaign ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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RELATED WORDS

defamation, mudslinging, slander

Nearby words

smatv, smaze, smd, sme, smear, smear campaign, smear culture, smear test, smear word, smear-sheet, smearcase
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Idioms and Phrases with smear campaign

smear campaign

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.”

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.