smear campaign
An effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The politician started a smear campaign against his opponent.”
“The company launched a smear campaign to ruin the reputation of the journalist who exposed their illegal activities.”
“Fearing a loss of public support, the rival faction initiated a calculated smear campaign designed to discredit the leader's integrity and undermine her long-standing authority.”
- 01
rumor campaign
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.
- 02
whisper campaign
A method of persuasion in which damaging rumors or innuendo are deliberately spread concerning a person or other target, while the source of the rumors tries to avoid detection.
Last updated August 10, 2026