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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bird dog

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bird-dog
Verb
  • In the here and now, Kuss is still chasing a stage win at the ongoing Vuelta, a task made more difficult by his presence in the podium fight until midway through the second week.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Five weeks ago, in a two-minute drill during practice, Mahomes scrambled on fourth down but couldn’t evade a 300-pound rookie defensive tackle chasing after him.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2026
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 product tracks sleep patterns and measures users’ quality of rest.
    Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Millions of dollars invested, millions tracked In Broward, Florida’s second most-populous county, law enforcement agencies have spent over $3 million combined to build their surveillance networks.
    Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • This is where the Alaska Railroad train station, sled dog kennels, and the majority of visitor centers are located.
    Tamara Gane, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2026
  • The race is a qualifier for the Iditarod sled dog race, which takes place annually in Alaska.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 12 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Record signing Luka Vuskovic is setting a high bar in the Premier League for Brighton & Hove Albion’s 10 other summer transfer window signings to pursue.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Pancho’s brothers pursued their own leads, at one point visiting a local leader of organized crime.
    Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Kenny is super likable but kind of just follows Boyd around like a puppy dog.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Cassie is trying to become social-media famous, suggestively flashing her all-American assets online in a variety of fetishy costumes (a puppy dog, a pacifier-sucking baby).
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • In their rematch, McKee was dogged by questions about his administration’s work to replace a critical bridge in the state capital that was abruptly closed due to safety problems in 2023.
    Kimberlee Kruesi, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
  • In their rematch, he's been dogged by questions about his administration's work to replace a critical bridge in the state capital that was abruptly closed due to safety problems in 2023.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Unlike quail or pheasants, doves won't run ahead of a hunter wading through vegetation.
    Bryan Hendricks, Arkansas Online, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Similarly, Zo — seen recently as the monster hunter in Na Hong-jin’s delirious sci-fi action epic, Hope — stays for most of the running time just the right side of smug entitlement.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
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-dog. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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