: to attack or defeat (a nominee or candidate for public office) unfairly through an organized campaign of harsh public criticism or vilification
In any event, seeing one of their own being borked may itself energize the conservative base, even beyond what a conservative nomination would do. Mark Tushnet
In 1987, conservative judge Robert Bork endured such virulent criticism … that to this day, a nominee sidelined by activists is said to have been "borked." Claire Suddath