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
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
It was like a dog whistle, the pitch tuned perfectly so only our freak brains could pick it up and process it.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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
This new dog-whistle "is much more racially explicit because it's talking about racial justice folks who are centering race," López said.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2021
Its eight singers cover a five-octave range, from grunting lows to dog-whistle highs.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 4, 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
A bright blue cap, a thick gold watch-chain, three or four large rings, a dog-whistle from his button-hole, a fancy cane in his hand, and a little Oxford meerschaum in his mouth, completed his equipment.
From Two Years Ago, Volume I by Kingsley, Charles
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.
