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

The edifice of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a reasonable-sounding concept that serves as a dog whistle for critical race theory and is premised on the claim that our country is systemically racist, is cracking. —Richard T. Bosshardt, National Review, 17 Apr. 2024

While his Conservative opponent was accused of using racist dog whistles to try to turn Hindu and Jewish communities against the Muslim candidate, Khan’s message of consensus won him the mayorship. —Peter Guest, WIRED, 26 Mar. 2024

Democrats will push plan after mass shooting KC mayor says governor used dog whistle when blaming ‘thugs’ for Chiefs rally shooting What could have been done to prevent Chiefs rally tragedy? —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2024

Nice to see Devon at the Update desk, which includes a funny bit about Jost reacting to a literal racist dog whistle. —Andy Hoglund, EW.com, 21 Jan. 2024

His latest false birther claims to Baier are another racist dog whistle in a history of such language. —Sarah Beth Hensley, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2024

The song and its music video threaten vigilante violence through jingoistic lyrics and dog whistle politics. —Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 23 Oct. 2023

Last year, the annual India Day Parade (a longtime event for the area) featured a machine resembling a bulldozer—interpreted as an Islamophobic dog whistle from India’s growing right-wing Hindu nationalist movement—rolling down Oak Tree Road. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Dec. 2023

Further, an octopus on its own (blue or otherwise) should not immediately be read as an antisemitic dog whistle, says David Feldman, director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. —Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 2 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1