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.
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.
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.
First recorded in 1800–05
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It was basically a dog whistle for the city or vice to shut down what you’re doing.”
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 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
Not only that but the Stygian ice dog whistle was back in my pocket, too.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
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
The issue isn’t that caring for the environment isn’t important, it’s that this narrative is yet another dog-whistle demonization of homeless people, Boden said.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 19, 2019
Its eight singers cover a five-octave range, from grunting lows to dog-whistle highs.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 4, 2019
Not only was the hearing range widened—after consuming thirty CC of Beta, they could hear the sound of an ultrasonic dog-whistle quite plainly—but the very quality of all audible sounds was curiously enhanced and altered.
From Hunter Patrol by Piper, H. Beam
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.
