dog whistle

noun

variants or less commonly dog-whistle

ˈdȯg-ˈ(h)wi-səl 

1

: a whistle to call or direct a dog

especially : one sounding at a frequency inaudible to the human ear

2

politics : an expression or statement that has a secondary meaning intended to be understood only by a particular group of people

Democrats and liberals sometimes have gone to ridiculous lengths to portray speech by Republicans and conservatives as dog whistles responsible for inciting unstable people to carry out violent acts …

—The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch

… habitually inserts dog-whistles into his speeches to motivate evangelical voters.

—The Economist

—often used before another noun

That is the fundamental perversity of 'dog whistle politics', whereby political parties send coded messages that will be heard one way by their core supporters and another way altogether by others.

—Robert E. Goodin

Examples of dog whistle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Already, Zarutska’s story has become a dog whistle for many on the right and an inconvenience for those on the left. —Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 11 Sep. 2025

At the unveiling of a report by Kennedy’s Make America Health Again Commission, the dog whistles were more like foghorns. —Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Sep. 2025

The rapid disappearance of Gen Z at large technology companies is a dog whistle to what’s really going behind the scenes—AI is automating roles, from entry-level upwards. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025

The line inspired a heated debate with many online critics insisting the ad was a dog whistle promoting white supremacy. —James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dog whistle

• bristle
• fissile
• gristle
• missal
• missile
• nissl
• thistle
• abyssal
• dismissal
• epistle