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
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Recent Examples of attack dog
The role of a presidential running mate is typically to serve as an attack dog for the person at the top of the ticket, arguing against the opposing presidential candidate and their proxy on stage.
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Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2024
Vice presidential nominees traditionally play the role of attack dog for the top of their tickets — in this case, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
Vice presidential picks have traditionally taken on the role of political attack dog, laying into opponents so that their running mate can appear above the political fray.
—Will Weissert, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Sep. 2024
The glory of the moment, filled with such powerful affirmation for being Trump’s attack dog, seems to be its own reward.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for attack dog 
Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2024
Vice presidential nominees traditionally play the role of attack dog for the top of their tickets — in this case, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
Vice presidential picks have traditionally taken on the role of political attack dog, laying into opponents so that their running mate can appear above the political fray.
—Will Weissert, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Sep. 2024
The glory of the moment, filled with such powerful affirmation for being Trump’s attack dog, seems to be its own reward.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for attack dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for attack dog
Noun
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The team believe that the current measures help mitigate the risk of sharks developing a strong and potentially dangerous association with boats.Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
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This latest incident marks the fifth shark attack reported in Hawaii so far in 2024, and the first to occur on a neighboring island besides Oahu.Tom Howarth FOLLOW, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 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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Malaria, dengue fever, dysentery, and in a few cases typhus, hit man after man.Salama Udaipurwala, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024
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In Ben Wheatley's brilliant and blistering work, a British soldier returns home and embarks on a career as a hit man, finding strange little details while on his various jobs.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Oct. 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
Thesaurus Entries Near attack dog
Cite this Entry
“Attack dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/attack%20dog. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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