whisper campaign
Subtle reputation attack
A whisper campaign is a deliberate effort to spread damaging rumors or insinuations about someone, typically a political opponent or rival, through informal channels rather than public accusations.
The method allows attackers to harm a reputation while avoiding accountability: The whisper campaign painted him as mentally unstable.
Also called a whispering campaign.
- innuendoOblique disparaging remark
- slanderSpoken false defamation
- character assassinationDestroying someone's good name
- malicious gossipHarmful talk about others
- spreading rumorsCirculating unverified talk
mudslinging · gossip · word of mouth · libel · calumny · backbiting · poison the well · astroturfing · poison pen · misinformation · planted story · McCarthyism · backchanneling · aspersion · dog whistle · under the radar · dark money · defamation
- accusationsaccusation, accuse, accuser, allegation, allege
- gossiprumor, rumors, gossip, hearsay, scuttlebutt
- defamationslander, libel, defamation, defamatory statement, defaming
- manipulationgaslighting, guilt tripping, blame-shifting, brainwashing, guilt trip
- political intrigueintrigue, conspiracy, treason, plot, collusion
- political tacticsgerrymandering, filibuster, voter suppression, dirty tricks, filibustering
whisper campaignformal announcement
whisper, campaign, whispered, whispering, whispers, campaigns, campaigning, whisperer, campaigned