attack dog
noun
1
: a dog trained to attack on command or on sight
2
: a person noted for harsh, personal, and usually public verbal attacks against others
a political attack dog
—usually hyphenated when used before another nounattack-dog tactics
Examples of attack dog in a Sentence
The charges against the candidate were made by one of the governor's attack dogs.
his reputation as a political attack dog earned him the vice presidential spot on the ticket
Recent Examples on the Web
Right-wing media personalities like Bongino, acting as Trump’s top attack dogs, routinely floated unproven theories as a way to malign Trump’s political opponents.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Critics, including former Missouri U.S. senators from both parties, say he’s become more like the president’s mouthpiece and attack dog than the chief prosecutor fighting crime in the nation’s capital.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2025
Cats were also more likely to attack dogs than vice versa.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Other Trump appointees have no qualms about being seen as partisan attack dogs.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
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Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Critics, including former Missouri U.S. senators from both parties, say he’s become more like the president’s mouthpiece and attack dog than the chief prosecutor fighting crime in the nation’s capital.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2025
Cats were also more likely to attack dogs than vice versa.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Other Trump appointees have no qualms about being seen as partisan attack dogs.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Cite this Entry
“Attack dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attack%20dog. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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