smear campaign

American  

noun

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

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smear campaign Idioms  

1. 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.”

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Example Sentences

Mittal, founder of the Oakland Institute, a human rights and development focused think tank in California, described Magnum's approach as a "public smear campaign" and said the allegations were unfounded.

From BBC

Wallace, the son of Biggie Smalls and singer Faith Evans, sued Hay for defamation in a Florida federal court last week, calling Hay’s recent interviews “a calculated smear campaign” that included false statements that he attended Combs’ so-called freak-off parties and “conspired to lure Hay to a location where Combs purportedly assaulted him.”

From Los Angeles Times

The 71-year-old Slovak-born politician has denied any wrongdoing, calling the allegations a smear campaign.

From Barron's

Lawyers for the reservists argued in the news conference that their clients were the victims of a smear campaign orchestrated by Tomer-Yerushalmi.

From The Wall Street Journal

Blake Lively is seeking more than $161 million in damages from an alleged smear campaign involving “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni, including lost acting jobs and financial blows to her alcohol and hair-care brands.

From The Wall Street Journal