swiftboat

English

Alternative forms

• swift boat

Etymology

From swift + boat

Verb

swiftboat (third-person singular simple present swiftboats, present participle swiftboating, simple past and past participle swiftboated)

1. (US, politics, pejorative) To attack a politician with specious claims.
2. (slang) To trick, scam, or swindle.

   If you're going to try and swiftboat me for the Petermann account, keep on dreaming.

Usage notes

• As the term's non-political origin is still widely recognized, some refrain from using it as a verb in a political context out of respect for veterans not associated with the political group.

See also

• bork
• swiftboating on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:swiftboating