as in shark
one who makes harsh, personal attacks against opponents
his reputation as a political attack dog earned him the vice presidential spot on the ticket
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of attack dog
Right-wing media personalities like Bongino, acting as Trump’s top attack dogs, routinely floated unproven theories as a way to malign Trump’s political opponents.
—
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Critics, including former Missouri U.S. senators from both parties, say he’s become more like the president’s mouthpiece and attack dog than the chief prosecutor fighting crime in the nation’s capital.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2025
Cats were also more likely to attack dogs than vice versa.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Other Trump appointees have no qualms about being seen as partisan attack dogs.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 May 2025
Critics, including former Missouri U.S. senators from both parties, say he’s become more like the president’s mouthpiece and attack dog than the chief prosecutor fighting crime in the nation’s capital.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2025
Cats were also more likely to attack dogs than vice versa.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2025
Other Trump appointees have no qualms about being seen as partisan attack dogs.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack dog
Noun
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Matt Davis, a scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, told WGME that warmer weather from climate change could cause sharks to hang around the area until later in the year than usual.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
13 Aug. 2025
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In one high-profile case, a Chinese vessel was caught inside the Galápagos Marine Reserve with 300 tons of marine life, including 6,000 dead sharks, in 2017.—
Jennifer Raynor,
Space.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Social media platforms were a critical battleground during the campaign, with political mudslingers waging cyberwar with few legal constraints after the government failed to act on calls for a new law to protect democracy in the internet age.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
12 Dec. 2019
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In 2010, when the group launched ahead of Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, Brock had imposed a set of self-regulations on the staff that would cultivate an air of respectability for the mudslingers.—
Gabriel Debenedetti,
Daily Intelligencer,
20 May 2018
Noun
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Today there are two main types of lobbyists in Springfield: those who work exclusively for a single corporation or interest group — the state’s manufacturers or retailers, for instance — and those who contract with a variety of clients, essentially hired guns for anyone willing to pay.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Nov. 2024
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Every four years, ambitious consultants and hired guns sit down with aspiring presidents and sell them a lie.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
17 Aug. 2023
Noun
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Harmon will play Joe, a hit man who works for Angelo and Dutch (Michael Imperioli).—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
14 July 2025
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The professional hit man is mostly a literary invention.—
Malcolm Gladwell,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Back home, more pink slips for federal employees go out and the scrutiny of Elon Musk's role as the hatchet man for those agencies intensifies.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
16 Feb. 2025
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Musician and producer Grimes made a rare comment involving her ex-partner and father to her three kids, Elon Musk, after their 4-year-old son appeared alongside the tech mogul turned government hatchet man at the White House on Wednesday.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
12 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attack dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attack%20dog. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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