smear
Drag through mud
A smear is a mark made by spreading something sticky or greasy across a surface: a smear of butter, a smear of lipstick on the collar.
The verb means to spread or streak in this way.
A smear is also an attempt to damage someone's reputation through false or misleading accusations: a smear campaign, political smears.
In medicine, a smear is a sample of cells spread on a slide for examination: a Pap smear.
Mark left by spillage
- splotchIrregular colored mark
- smudgeUnclear dirty mark
- streakUnbroken series
- markVisible impression or sign
spot · blob · splatter · blotch · stain · blur · fingerprint · lipstick mark
Spoken false defamation
- libelPrinted defamation
- defameHarm reputation falsely
- besmirchTo soil someone's reputation
- vilifyAttack someone's reputation
denigrate · malign · discredit · tarnish · sully · traduce · calumniate · impugn
blot
Mark left by spillage
mark · spot · blob · splatter · blotch · stain · blur · fingerprint · lipstick mark · ink stain
slander
Spoken false defamation
vilify · denigrate · malign · discredit · tarnish · sully · traduce · calumniate · impugn · asperse
coat
Outer garment or layer
lather · anoint · dab · slick · paste · apply · streak · wipe · smooth · layer
cervical
Of the neck
specimen · slide · microscope · pathology · swab · culture · sample · diagnostic · test
- filthdirt, grime, dirty, filthy, muck
- marksmark, blemish, blotch, stroke, seal of approval
- tracestrace, trail, mark, imprint, footprint
- campaign jargonstump speech, talking points, sound bites, soundbite, soundbites
- defamationslander, libel, defamation, defamatory statement, defaming
- political intrigueintrigue, conspiracy, treason, plot, collusion
- smear campaignOrganized defamation effort
- pap smearsCervical cancer screening test
- political smearDamaging accusation in campaigns
- smear testCervical cancer screening procedure
- blood smearThin layer for microscopy
- ink smearAccidental pen mark
smeared, smeary, smears, smearing, besmeared, smear campaign, smear campaigns