bird-dog 1 of 2

as in to chase
to go after or on the track of suspecting infidelity, he hired a private detective to bird-dog his wife

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bird dog

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bird dog
Verb
  • Cavazos says this work — chasing leads or even, at times, following ICE agents — to alert the community can be hard, especially now that the Department of Homeland Security regularly accuses groups like Cavazos' of interfering with their jobs and endangering the lives of immigration officers.
    Marisa Peñaloza, NPR, 17 Oct. 2025
  • In private debt, incentive misalignment can arise if managers prioritize asset growth at all costs, which sometimes leads to chasing thinner spreads or riskier deals.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That means if a wolf dog ever bites someone, euthanasia and testing may be required.
    Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Possessing second-generation wolf dogs, defined in California as the offspring of a domestic dog and a half-wolf, half-dog hybrid — with no more than 25% wolf — is legal.
    Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The shipborne system draws tracking data from the Baden-Württemberg’s TRS-4D AESA radar, integrated into its combat management system.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2025
  • That would track with current projections, which have four movies expected to crack double digits in total nominations on Oscar morning.
    Clayton Davis, Variety, 16 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Her favorite pieces she’s written for Outside are about competing on the Discovery show Naked and Afraid, being a woman alone in the woods, learning to write, and mischievous sled dog Blowhole.
    Blair Braverman, Outside, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Counteracting that are the touching scenes where the trio bond with and care for sled dogs (rambunctious Billy is my favorite) at the school.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The Athletic's Will Sammon recently reported that the Mets are expected to pursue a trade for Detroit Tigers ace and 2024 American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Establishing and respecting boundaries is key Tracy Foster is the cofounder and executive director of Screen Sanity, a nonprofit that helps families and communities pursue digital health.
    Don Riddell, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • But the other people who live nearby may not be so easily swayed by those adorable puppy dog eyes or precious purrs and might get very irritated.
    Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The sorrowful puppy dog eyes were all because the owner’s tuxedo cat was curled up among the blankets in Rocky’s crate (despite having a bed of his own).
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Allen has dogged controversy since having an affair with his partner Mia Farrow’s adopted daughter Soon-Yi Previn.
    Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2025
  • The health care debate has dogged Congress ever since the Affordable Care Act became law under then-President Barak Obama in 2010.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Amanda Bryant, herpetologist with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, said hunters surpassed the initial quota of 204 with one additional harvest.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2025
  • And after selling at auction in 2007, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virgina began offering ghost tours to the public — and got a major boost in 2009, when a team of ghost hunters locked themselves inside for the night to record a live show.
    Jen Rose Smith, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Bird dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bird%20dog. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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