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
Trump has maligned Pritzker in the press over his appearance while Pritzker was Vice President Kamala Harris' attack dog on the campaign trail, slamming Trump routinely.
—
Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
Some took it as a sign that Trump might rein in his attack dog.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
Fleas typically attack dogs and cats, but humans can also get bites.
—Laura Schober, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
The former congressman has often been an attack dog for Trump in going after critics.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
Some took it as a sign that Trump might rein in his attack dog.
—Simon Shuster, TIME, 7 Feb. 2025
Fleas typically attack dogs and cats, but humans can also get bites.
—Laura Schober, Health, 11 Oct. 2024
The former congressman has often been an attack dog for Trump in going after critics.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for attack dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack dog
Noun
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Saya de Malha Bank offers safe haven to an unprecedented biodiversity of seagrass habitats for turtles and breeding grounds for sharks, humpback and blue whales.—
Christian Orozco,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2025
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This elusive shark, previously known only from fish markets, was recorded at depths of over 1,700 feet.—
Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 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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Alec Baldwin’s psycho hit man also chooses her to intimidate into getting the jury to acquit.—
Eddie Mouradian,
Vulture,
24 Feb. 2025
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Based on an almost-too-wild-to-believe true story, Hit Man follows Gary Johnson (Glen Powell), a mild-mannered professor moonlighting as a fake hit man for the FBI.—
Janey Tracey,
EW.com,
7 Feb. 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 15 Apr. 2025.
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