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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Examples of attack dog in a Sentence
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Recent Examples on the Web
The glory of the moment, filled with such powerful affirmation for being Trump’s attack dog, seems to be its own reward.
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Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, once known as a moderate leader willing to engage with the West, now plays the role of Putin’s attack dog, periodically threatening a nuclear Armageddon.
—Fiona Hill, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2023
After a rocky launch as Donald Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance is settling into his campaign role — as an attack dog focused on issues that Trump's own advisers wish the former president would talk about more.
—Sophia Cai, Axios, 8 Aug. 2024
Go deeper: Vance finds footing as Trump's attack dog, by Axios' Sophia Cai.
—Axios, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for attack dog 
Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, once known as a moderate leader willing to engage with the West, now plays the role of Putin’s attack dog, periodically threatening a nuclear Armageddon.
—Fiona Hill, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2023
After a rocky launch as Donald Trump's running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance is settling into his campaign role — as an attack dog focused on issues that Trump's own advisers wish the former president would talk about more.
—Sophia Cai, Axios, 8 Aug. 2024
Go deeper: Vance finds footing as Trump's attack dog, by Axios' Sophia Cai.
—Axios, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for attack dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack dog
Noun
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Recent discoveries of fin stockpiling, coupled with seizures at ports, underscore the incomplete effectiveness of the ban in halting the trafficking of shark or rhino ray fins.Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024
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Klein will showcase Little Saints to the panel of sharks in an attempt to secure an investment for her business.Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024
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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Every four years, ambitious consultants and hired guns sit down with aspiring presidents and sell them a lie.Philip Elliott, Time, 17 Aug. 2023
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Anderson has been healthy and active for well over a decade, but the band — which now features Seventies guitarist Steve Howe, Drama-era keyboardist Geoff Downes, and hired guns — refuses to take him back.Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2023
Noun
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Powell, as the dorky professor Gary Johnson turned expert undercover fake hit man, gives a megawatt star turn, effortlessly shifting between his character’s multiple personas, while co-lead Adria Arjona is similarly compelling as an abused wife who is more dangerous than meets the eye.Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 16 July 2024
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By appearances, Leasure was not a plausible hit man, and explaining his motives was tricky.Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2024
Noun
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Vladimir Zhirinovsky, another of President Vladimir Putin’s hatchet men, advised Americans to vote for Donald Trump or risk being dragged into a nuclear war.Mitchell A. Orenstein, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2016
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In the twenty-tens, the brothers took up solo careers; Malice converted to Christianity (becoming No Malice), as Pusha T became a hatchet man for Kanye West.The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2023
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Cite this Entry
“Attack dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attack%20dog. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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