spin doctor

noun

1. Slang.,  a press agent skilled at spin control.

spin doctor

noun

1. informal,  a person who provides a favourable slant to an item of news, potentially unpopular policy, etc, esp on behalf of a political personality or party

Word History and Origins

Origin of spin doctor¹

First recorded in 1985–1990

Word History and Origins

Origin of spin doctor¹

C20: from the spin given to a ball in various sports to make it go in the desired direction

Idioms and Phrases

An individual charged with getting others to interpret a statement or event from a particular viewpoint, as in Charlie is the governor's spin doctor. This term, born about 1980 along with spin control, uses doctor in the colloquial sense of “one who repairs something.”

Example Sentences

The archetypal spin doctor, his reputation as a behind-the scenes fixer, schemer and schmoozer earned him the nickname, "the Prince of Darkness".

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As Lucy, she is refreshingly droll, hitting the film’s comedic beats with a softer touch that lends itself to her character’s tendency to play the spin doctor.

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Fixing, schmoozing and scheming behind the scenes, the spin doctor who seemed to revel in his nickname the "Prince of Darkness".

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Shugalei tends to describe himself as a "sociologist" but in reality, say analysts, he is a spin doctor and an agent of Russian influence known for his work on the African continent.

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Years ago, a spin doctor at a Welsh Labour conference told me how party members were going to help write policies.

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Related Words

• publicist