smear campaign

American  

noun

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

---

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.”

---

Example Sentences

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 • Feb. 16, 2026

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 • Feb. 12, 2026

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 • Nov. 11, 2025

Budapest has dismissed the allegations as a smear campaign orchestrated by foreign intelligence services.

From Barron's • Oct. 10, 2025

Murky, speculative stuff, a smear campaign on a dead woman.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins