campaign

campaign against (someone or something)

1. To strongly oppose someone or something and encourage others to do the same; to fight against someone or something. Many people in our small town are campaigning against that big construction project because they feel that we don't need more stores so close to our homes.
2. To pursue an elected office against a specific opponent. I'll never win the student council presidency if I have to campaign against Caroline—she's so popular!
See also: campaign

campaign for (someone or something)

1. To strongly support someone or something and encourage others to do the same; to fight in favor of someone or something. Many people in our small town are campaigning for that big construction project because the closest store right now is 10 miles away.
2. To support a candidate pursuing an elected office and encourage others to do the same. I'm campaigning for Caroline in the race for student council president—here, have a button!
See also: campaign

rumor campaign

A concentrated and prolonged effort to damage or ruin someone's or some group's reputation through the perpetuation of rumors, innuendos, or falsehoods, generally as a means of persuading a large number of people against him, her, or them. Primarily heard in US. The local sheriff's slim lead heading into the election quickly evaporated after he found himself at the wrong end of a vicious rumor campaign. I think we need to start a rumor campaign to slow down the competitor's growth in the market, but no one can know that it's coming from us!
See also: campaign, rumor

rumour campaign

A concentrated and prolonged effort to damage or ruin someone's or some group's reputation through the perpetuation of rumors, innuendos, falsehoods, generally as a means of persuading a large amount of people against him, her, or them. Primarily heard in UK. Finding himself at the wrong end of a vicious rumour campaign, the local MP's slim lead heading into the election quickly evaporated. I think we need to start a rumour campaign to slow down the competitor's growth in the market, but no one can know that it's coming from us!
See also: campaign, rumour

smear campaign

A concentrated and prolonged effort to damage or ruin someone's or some group's reputation through the perpetuation of claims about their failures or faults, whether these are true, exaggerated, or falsified. Generally as a means of persuading a large number of people against him, her, or them, especially in a political election. Primarily heard in US. The local sheriff's slim lead heading into the election quickly evaporated after a vicious smear campaign began targeting his former substance abuse. I think we need to start a smear campaign to slow down the competitor's growth in the market, but no one can know that it's coming from us!
See also: campaign, smear

whispering campaign

The spread of rumors, with the intent of damaging a person's reputation The whispering campaign that the opposition has launched against me is just awful! I haven't done any of the things they've claimed! I'm always skeptical of the terrible allegations that come out in these whispering campaigns.
See also: campaign, whisper
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

campaign against someone or something

 
1. to crusade or battle against someone or something. Currently, I am campaigning against littering. Sarah is campaigning against crooked politicians.
2. to run one's political campaign against someone or something. I campaigned against the incumbent and won. John spent a lot of time campaigning against Sarah for class president.
See also: campaign

campaign for someone or something

to support actively someone or someone's candidacy for political office. I would be very happy to campaign for you. I want to campaign for the winning candidate.
See also: campaign

smear campaign (against someone)

a campaign aimed at damaging someone's reputation by making accusations and spreading rumors. The politician's opponents are engaging in a smear campaign against him. Jack started a smear campaign against Tom so that Tom wouldn't get the manager's job.
See also: campaign, smear
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

smear campaign

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."
See also: campaign, smear

whispering campaign

A deliberate spreading of derogatory rumors about a candidate, as in That whispering campaign destroyed his chances for election. [c. 1920]
See also: campaign, whisper
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • be/have done with somebody/something
  • be in line with (someone or something)
  • better of
  • (someone or something) promises well
  • begin with
  • begin with (someone or something)
  • bird has flown, the
  • beware of
  • beware of (someone or something)
  • be rough on (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
A spokeswoman for the Moser campaign declined to comment on how much her staff's unionizing will cost.
A Texas Democrat's campaign just unionized. Here's why so few campaigns do that
So these six are new campaigns but there will be more running up to the election and during the election,' Yeo said.
DAP launches 'Kick Liow Out' crowdfunding campaign platform
Choosing the campaigns to include is admittedly a subjective endeavor, but Rogers, a renowned marketing journalist, provides ample justification for his selections.
Campaigns That Shook the World; The Evolution of Public Relations
and Niagara, both diocesan bishops were heavily involved in the campaign.
Some simple secrets behind successes in fundraising
Milwaukee's recycling infrastructure made it impossible for ReMix to monitor magazine and catalog recycling across the intended local campaign area with just one MRF, so, three facilities were contacted and asked to participate.
Into the ReMix: the ReMix program brings private and public interests together to increase magazine collection rates
The design for the Web site incorporates the Wise Choices campaign artwork and is a one-stop spot on the Internet for California raisin recipes, nutrition facts and manufacturing information.
Consumer marketing: California raisins launch new campaign
The candidates raised large sums of money to pay for a full menu of negative campaign tactics: personal attacks, below-the-radar smears by allies, a series of combative debates.
Attack ads are good for you! In praise of negative campaigning
Mihalke supervised a mail campaign for the Seniors Coalition in at least 11 competitive districts.
Poison pill: how Abramoff's cronies sold the Medicare drug bill
I just finished reading your article on the campaign featuring Norman, the mooing dog, and I agree completely.
Wagging the dog
Taking advantage of this moment of opportunity, the Public Campaign Action Fund has launched a campaign, "Seizing the Moment." One major prong of the campaign is a pledge drive designed to put candidates for public office on record on the issue of reform.
Clean Elections: antidote to unhealthy campaign financing
An aggressive media relations campaign was also launched to inform all audiences of the name change and the reason."
The art of reputation building: a handful of lessons on building a brand
The campaign in the Czech Republic differed slightly in its content from the campaigns of the other candidate countries mainly because it could not afford to be overly propagandistic.
From the ground up: with little in the way of a communication infrastructure, a government team in the Czech Republic initiated a complex campaign for EU membership
Since September of last year, the Muskoka, Nipissing, Parry Sound Local Training and Adjustment Board's 2004/2005 Passport to Prosperity Campaign has been heightening awareness of school- to-work transition programs amongst students, parents and community stakeholders throughout the districts of Muskoka, Nipissing and Parry Sound.
News
Then 30 people came, with tables and boxes of medicine and they stuck me out in the hall," says King, who recently told the story of Josie's death to kick off the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's ambitious 100,000 Lives Campaign.
100,000 Lives Campaign adds 1,700 hospitals ... and counting
"Now that I'm several months away from Pew and we have campaign finance reform, I can tell this story."
Campaign finance reform conspiracy