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

Galvin’s public records division is a joke — a watchdog with no teeth. — Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald, 7 Nov. 2026

Amid backlash, their Instagram page has since been taken down — raising some doubt the event would occur — though the event flier has been reposted by neveragainus, an antisemitism watchdog group. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026

Another person familiar with Democrats' oversight plans, who was not authorized to speak publicly, told CNBC the strategy is to aggressively target business while also taking a more traditional watchdog role of the executive branch. — Justin Papp,garrett Downs,megan Cassella, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026

Payments now or later Like many of the utility watchdogs, ComEd also endorses the idea that large-load customers like data centers should be directly allocated the cost of their projects. — CBS News, 6 Nov. 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