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
Vance often has served as an attack dog for the administration, including lashing out at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an Oval Office visit.
—
Zac Anderson, USA Today, 21 Jan. 2026
Who is Brendan Carr? Carr is a long-serving member of the FCC who has become an increasingly visible attack dog for the Trump administration this year.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Pulte, who was appointed to lead the FHFA by Trump, has acted as an attack dog on the president’s behalf against the Fed, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and Cook in recent weeks.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
One good example is former President Richard Nixon, who was a fierce attack dog as Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice president in the 1950s, leaving Eisenhower as the commander in chief who transcended politics.
—Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
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Zac Anderson, USA Today, 21 Jan. 2026
Who is Brendan Carr? Carr is a long-serving member of the FCC who has become an increasingly visible attack dog for the Trump administration this year.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
Pulte, who was appointed to lead the FHFA by Trump, has acted as an attack dog on the president’s behalf against the Fed, Fed Chair Jerome Powell and Cook in recent weeks.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2025
One good example is former President Richard Nixon, who was a fierce attack dog as Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice president in the 1950s, leaving Eisenhower as the commander in chief who transcended politics.
—Haisten Willis, The Washington Examiner, 8 Aug. 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 29 Jan. 2026.
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