dog whistle
noun
variants
or less commonly dog-whistle
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
The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch… habitually inserts dog-whistles into his speeches to motivate evangelical voters.—The Economist
—often used before another nounThe EconomistThat 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
Robert E. GoodinExamples of dog whistle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Critics have said the jeans campaign amounts to a dog whistle for eugenics and a glorification of whiteness.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
Still, the vague sense that Sweeney’s stardom was a dog whistle for reactionaries persisted.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 July 2025
After years of sounding dog whistles and peddling outright conspiracism to work his supporters into a lather about global pedophile rings, Trump is telling those same people to move on.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dog whistle
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2025
Critics have said the jeans campaign amounts to a dog whistle for eugenics and a glorification of whiteness.
—Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025
Still, the vague sense that Sweeney’s stardom was a dog whistle for reactionaries persisted.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 July 2025
After years of sounding dog whistles and peddling outright conspiracism to work his supporters into a lather about global pedophile rings, Trump is telling those same people to move on.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dog whistle
Cite this Entry
“Dog whistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog%20whistle. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share