Illustration of prairie dog
prairie dog
noun
: any of a genus (Cynomys) of gregarious burrowing rodents of the squirrel family chiefly of central and western U.S. plains
especially
: a black-tailed rodent (C. ludovicianus) that usually lives in extensive colonial burrows
Examples of prairie dog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Gambian giant rats and other rodents infected prairie dogs, which in turn infected nearly 100 people who handled the animals.
—
Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
Bison roam freely, wild horses graze on ridges, and entire prairie dog towns pop up along the roadside.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
The post featured a precious photo of the prairie dog resting flat on his back on a fuzzy pillow.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2026
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Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026
The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 7 Apr. 2026
Bison roam freely, wild horses graze on ridges, and entire prairie dog towns pop up along the roadside.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2026
The post featured a precious photo of the prairie dog resting flat on his back on a fuzzy pillow.
—Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prairie dog
Cite this Entry
“Prairie dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie%20dog. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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