outspent and outmanoeuvred

A new history of anti-smoking documents the cigarette’s journey from patriotic necessity ('Don't forget the cigarettes for Tommy') to pariah status. In 1997 the Master Settlement Agreement forced the tobacco firms to pay up $246 billion, much of it spent on anti-smoking measures.

After decades of barefaced lying (in the Economist's words), Big Tobacco had found itself outspent and outmanoeuvred.

(The links between Big Tobacco and the climate-change denial industry are outlined here.)