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

Blake Lively sought more than $161 million in damages, alleging a smear campaign by Baldoni and his team harmed her reputation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 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

The problem with this smear campaign is that we have the receipts.

From Salon • Jan. 26, 2026

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 • Dec. 19, 2025

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

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins