swift boat

plural swift boats · alternative swiftboat · alternative Swift Boat

1. A small, shallow draft water vessel used by the United States navy for counterinsurgency (COIN) operations during the Vietnam War; Fast Patrol Craft (PCF).

present singular third person swift boats · participle present swift boating · participle past swift boated · past swift boated · alternative swiftboat · alternative Swift Boat

1. USderogatoryneologismtransitiveto put forth sensational negative stories about a political figure as part of a smear campaign against them, especially regarding their military record

   Swift-boating is the new term used to describe a dirty campaign that tries to paint a war hero as unpatriotic.

   2007, Lee Iacocca, Where have all the leaders gone?

   2 more examples

   “There is simply the desire to paint an entire religion as the enemy,” he said. Referring to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the founder of the proposed Muslim center near ground zero, “What they did to Imam Feisal was highly strategic. The signal was, we can Swift Boat your most moderate leaders.”

   2010 September 6, Laurie Goodstein, “American Muslims Ask, Will We Ever Belong?”, in New York Times

   Swift-boating's essence is a particular kind of dishonesty, or rather a particular combination of shadowy dishonesties. It usually involves a complex web of facts, many of which may even be true.

   2008, Michael Kinsley, “To Swift-Boat or Not”, in Time

plural Swift Boats

1. Alternative letter-case form of swift boat