watchdog

1 of 2

noun

watch·​dog ˈwäch-ˌdȯg 

ˈwȯch-

1

: a dog kept to guard property

2

: one that guards against loss, waste, theft, or undesirable practices

watchdog

2 of 2

verb

watchdogged; watchdogging; watchdogs

transitive verb

: to act as a watchdog for

Examples of watchdog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Pentagon is building weapons and projects with artificial intelligence capabilities that officials say don't always closely adhere to the agency's own guidelines for AI, according to a congressional watchdog report published in October. — Chiara Eisner, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026

Their software was open to inspection by parties, universities and watchdogs for 11 months before being digitally signed and sealed in public. — Solly Boussidan, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026

Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

At the same time, Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group, has reported that many within the national conservative media are promoting and praising the ad. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1902, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for watchdog

• agog
• backlog
• bulldog
• bullfrog
• eclogue
• eggnog
• groundhog
• hedgehog
• leapfrog
• prolog
• sheepdog
• analog

Kids Definition

watchdog

noun

watch·​dog

ˈwäch-ˌdȯg, 

ˈwȯch-

1

: a dog kept to guard property

2

: one that guards against loss, waste, theft, or dishonesty