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
As vice president, Vance is expected to champion Trump’s agenda and serve as an attack dog when needed.
—
Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Pro bono is for those who are under attack, not the attack dog.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 31 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Haley Bemiller, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Pro bono is for those who are under attack, not the attack dog.
—Carrie Johnson, NPR, 31 May 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack dog
Noun
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With a mission to rebuild abundant and biodiverse oceans, Oceana fights to stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, as well as the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, among other causes.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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Activities like spearfishing can attract sharks and increase the odds of unprovoked attacks.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 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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Madsen stars as mobster Sonny Black opposite Al Pacino’s hit man Lefty and Johnny Depp’s titular agent Donnie.—
Jami Ganz,
Chicago Tribune,
3 July 2025
Noun
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The White House and its hatchet men attacking culture are coming for the artists, curators, museum directors, docents, writers, and editors who value freedom and liberation and Black history and women’s history and ideas and progress.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Musk’s extracurricular gig as President Donald Trump’s hatchet man has turned the Tesla brand — once a favorite among upwardly mobile lefties — into a symbol of America’s right wing.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Attack dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attack%20dog. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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