dog whistle
noun
an ultrasonic whistle, audible to dogs and some other animals but out of the range easily perceptible to the human ear, used by handlers of working dogs and by dog trainers.
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dog whistle
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dog-whistle
dog-whistleadjectiverelating to the targeting of potentially controversial messages to specific voters while avoiding offending those voters with whom the message will not be popular
dog whistle
American
[dawg-hwis-uhl, -wis-, dog-]
/ ˈdɔgˌʰwɪs əl, -ˌwɪs-, ˈdɒg- /
noun
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an ultrasonic whistle, audible to dogs and some other animals but out of the range easily perceptible to the human ear, used by handlers of working dogs and by dog trainers.
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Chiefly Politics. a choice of words, coded communication, or other symbolic aspect of self-presentation that is superficially unobjectionable or neutral but conveys a secondary message aimed at those who affiliate with a controversial group or fringe ideology, usually signaling one’s own affinity for such beliefs: The logo on the t-shirt he chose to wear in his profile pic is a neo-Nazi dog whistle.
The candidate used “welfare reform” as a dog whistle appealing to racist voters.
The logo on the t-shirt he chose to wear in his profile pic is a neo-Nazi dog whistle.
dog-whistle
British
adjective
verb
Usage
What does dog whistle mean? A dog whistle is a political term about statements that appear innocent to the general public but they actually use subtle, coded language to communicate a secondary message to an intended group. The messages are often racial or bigoted in nature, used to attract certain voters and energize them to vote.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dog whistle
First recorded in 1800–05
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.
See Examples For:
But that’s not all that happened; the op-ed acted as a dog whistle, bringing out a torrent of abuse.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
Powell responded "oh, we want to blow that little trumpet now do we" and "let's get that dog whistle out shall we".
From BBC ● May 3, 2025
But dog whistle politics, though not explicitly termed as such, also stretch much farther back through history to the post-enslavement era, argues Khalil Gibran Muhammad, a Harvard University professor of history, race and public policy.
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2024
“It was all an intimidation method to send a dog whistle to Black people straight form Beverly Hills, straight from City Hall,” Crump said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2023
In my pocket, the Stygian ice dog whistle started to grow colder, freezing against the side of my leg.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
“That’s dog-whistle stuff, man, in a city like Memphis,” said Josh Spickler, a former public defender and the executive director of Just City, a local criminal justice reform group.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2023
While I’m pretty sure Graham wouldn’t consciously encourage a riot, I’m not so sure he wouldn’t dog-whistle a little tune that would be likely to perk up some ears.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2022
In it, López explains the power, as well as the historical and political logic, behind a new approach to defeating dog-whistle politics.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2019
On its side, the city was led at that time by the Frank Rizzo, Goode’s predecessor as Philadelphia mayor, a former police commissioner who liked to talk tough and was fond of dog-whistle politics.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 31, 2018
"Master Babington saith it is a dog-whistle which he was leaving in charge with Cis to exchange for another with Huckstress Tibbott," she answered.
From Unknown to History: a story of the captivity of Mary of Scotland by Charlotte Mary Yonge
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
