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• dog whistle
  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.
• dog-whistle
  dog-whistle

  adjective

  relating 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

1. 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.

2. 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.

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dog-whistle British  

adjective

1. relating 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 politics

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verb

1. (intr) to employ this kind of political strategy

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

• dog whistling
  noun
• dog-whistle
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of dog whistle

First recorded in 1800–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dog whistle dog-whistle

“It was basically a dog whistle for the city or vice to shut down what you’re doing.”

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

Judges know the difference between a whistleblower and a dog whistle.

From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2025

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

“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

Less amusing was the dog-whistle tweet he put out containing a clip of O’Rourke expressing outrage at the recent killing by a female police officer of an African American man in his Dallas apartment.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 7, 2018

Captain Kent, thirty men of your troop will hold the other three walls; but if you hear my dog-whistle, every man is to leave his post and come on here at a run.

From In Times of Peril by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)