Defame during a political campaign

The answer to “Defame during a political campaign” in the New York Times Midi crossword is SMEAR — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on March 24, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 4-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Defame during a political campaign” answer

SMEAR (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is SMEAR.

Why the answer is SMEAR

SMEAR is the 5-letter solution that fits "Defame during a political campaign" in the NYT Midi crossword on March 24, 2026 (4-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does SMEAR mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of SMEAR is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

When else has “Defame during a political campaign” appeared?

New York Times Midi reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

March 24, 2026 (most recent) → SMEAR. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

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