dog it
Idioms-
Do less than is required; loaf or shirk. For example, I'm afraid our donors are dogging it this year . This expression originated in sports and soon was transferred to other endeavors. [ Slang ; c. 1900]
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Move slowly, as in We just dogged it along from California to Oregon .
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Run away, as in Let's dog it out of here right now . This usage originated in American underworld slang in the 1920s, where it meant “to back down in cowardly fashion,” and acquired its present sense about 1930.
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Same as put on the dog .
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his preface, Mr. Laqueur tells us that although his mother always had a dog, it wasn’t until his early 40s that he himself loved one—the female boxer Curious.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
While socialization is beneficial for any dog, it also greatly improves a shelter dog’s chances of adoption, which is a matter of survival.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2025
When we showed Lens a photo of a dog, it was able to suggest its likely breed.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2023
“If you go through just what normal people do, going through a fog, going through a forest, walking the dog, it works very well,” he says.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2023
“Crispy corn dog: it makes you young again,” I joke.
From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
