smear campaignˈsmear camˌpaign noun [countable] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- However, Melancia maintained that he was the innocent victim of a politically motivated smear campaign.
- Republicans accused the Democrats of launching a smear campaign.
- The smear campaign involved unsigned leaflets circulated around Fintown, Glenties, Doochary and Lettermacaward.
- The smear campaign was also extended to political and other organisations associated with the majority cause.
Longman Language Activatorsomething untrue that is said or written► lie
a deliberate plan to tell untrue stories about an important person in order to make people lose respect for them – used especially in newspapers something that you say which you know is not true: · Jim said that he was planning to stay home and watch TV, but I knew it was a lie.lie about: · How can the newspapers print all these lies about her?a pack of lies (=so many lies that you feel shocked or angry): · He called the report "a pack of lies".a bald-faced/an outright/a downright lie (=a clear and shocking lie): · Davenport said the congressman's allegations were nothing more than "downright lies".
► white lie a lie that does not harm anyone, especially one that is told in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings: · It's just a little white lie. No real harm done.· I told him his suit looked wonderful, which was a white lie.· "I'm sorry I couldn't come. I had a really bad headache," she explained, resorting to a white lie.
► fib informal a lie, especially one that is not very important: · You're not telling me a fib, are you?fib about: · I had to make up some fib about why I was late.
► falsehood formal an untrue statement or story, especially one that has been carefully and deliberately invented to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · Mudge, in a written statement Wednesday, said the article was a collection of "falsehoods and misinformation".spread a falsehood: · Why Campbell had chosen to spread such a falsehood is a mystery.
► half-truth a statement that is almost a lie because it does not tell the whole truth about something: · McCarthy's blend of half-truths and lies ruined many careers in government and the professions.· Forbes' book on Bonham is littered with half-truths, and, in some cases, outright lies.
► misinformation incorrect information, especially information that is deliberately intended to deceive people: · According to Kramer, the Internet is a storehouse of lies and misinformation.misinformation about: · "For months, the Democrats have run television commercials filled with misinformation about the Republican Party," said Dawson.
► disinformation false information which is given deliberately in order to hide the truth or confuse people, especially in political situations: · The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the report as "disinformation".disinformation about: · Logan said government agents are still spreading disinformation about leaders of the political reform movement.
► propaganda false or partly false information that is spread by a government or political organization, in order to make people support and agree with their political aims and beliefs: · Propaganda is a tool of war.Communist/US etc propaganda: · Radio Marti is still there, spewing its US propaganda across the waters toward Cuba.propaganda campaign (=an organized plan to spread propaganda): · In Najaf, Khomeini had begun a propaganda campaign against the Shah.anti-Western/anti-Communist/anti-Labour etc propaganda: · a piece of anti-Communist propaganda
► smear campaign when people tell lies about someone in the newspapers, on television etc, in order to make people have a bad opinion of that person: mount a smear campaign against somebody: · The Labour Party mounted a smear campaign against Livingstone before the election.
to spoil the good opinion that people have of someone► spoil somebody's image to spoil the idea that people have about someone, especially a famous person who is often on television, in newspapers and magazines etc: · The star's cleancut image has been spoiled by accusations of gambling and drug-taking.
► damage somebody's reputation to make people no longer have a good opinion about someone, especially a politician or someone with an important job: · My main concern was to prevent this incident from damaging my reputation.
► damaging containing information about someone's dishonest or immoral behaviour, which damages the good opinion that people have of them: · We can't risk any damaging scandals just before a Presidential election.· His career had been ruined by the sensational and damaging stories that appeared in the popular press.damaging to: · The recent court cases have been very damaging to the public image of the medical profession.
► discredit to damage the good opinion that people have of a person or organization, especially when this is done deliberately and in order to get an advantage: · It was a blatant attempt to discredit the Prime Minister.· There were reports that his campaign team had been trying to dig up information that might discredit his rival.
► smear campaign when an organization such as a political party or newspaper deliberately tries to find out and tell people about bad things someone in a public position has done, for example so that people are less likely to vote for them: · The magistrates who investigated his business empire have been made victims of a smear campaign.smear campaign against: · He called on people to ignore what he called a smear campaign against the government.