smear

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

So it resorted to smear tactics, made baseless accusations, and threatened them with prosecution under the Official Secrets Act if they tried.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

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

Grandpop was standing at the counter, using a spoon to smear peanut butter on the side of an apple.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds