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
The former congressman has often been an attack dog for Trump in going after critics.
—
Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
Cats were more likely to attack dogs than vice versa.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Yes, this was a kindler, gentler Vance, not the rabid attack dog so visible on the campaign trail.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
By now, the rules, history, and alliances in the assassins’ club have grown almost dizzyingly complex, but Halle Berry and her attack dogs add a jolt of energy to the boys' club.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
Cats were more likely to attack dogs than vice versa.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2024
Yes, this was a kindler, gentler Vance, not the rabid attack dog so visible on the campaign trail.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
By now, the rules, history, and alliances in the assassins’ club have grown almost dizzyingly complex, but Halle Berry and her attack dogs add a jolt of energy to the boys' club.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack dog
Noun
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After three days, the search for an Australian fisherman who was pulled into the ocean by a shark has been suspended.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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Over the past 20 years, global demand for shark and ray meat has nearly doubled, now surpassing the value of the shark fin trade by 1.7 times.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 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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The estranged husband of Brent Sikkema, an art dealer who was found stabbed to death in Brazil last year, has been charged with hiring a hit man.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
12 Feb. 2025
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The script does make occasional stabs at something offbeat, with haphazard cutaways to a romantic subplot in which Marvin’s depressed assistant, Ashley (Lio Tipton), falls for Raven (Mustafa Shakir), an enormous, poetry-writing hit man.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Meanwhile, there have been mass firings at the FBI, reportedly instigated by Trump hatchet man Kash Patel, who awaits Senate confirmation to head the FBI.—
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards,
Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Attack dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attack%20dog. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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