watchdog
Americannoun
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watchdogs
plural
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a dog kept to guard property.
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a watchful guardian.
a self-appointed watchdog of the public morals.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of a watchdog.
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organized or functioning as a watchful guardian, especially against illegal or unethical conduct.
a watchdog group in the legislature.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a dog kept to guard property
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a person or group of persons that acts as a protector or guardian against inefficiency, illegal practices, etc
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( as modifier )
a watchdog committee
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of watchdog
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:
Their accuracy has been questioned by the public services watchdog and critics warned there were doubts about their reliability in safety investigations and court cases.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
People should rely solely on official statements from Russian health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, he insisted.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
The media and technology watchdog organization urged OpenAI to pause marketing the product and keep minors off the platform until it can offer a safer experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
An assortment of politicians and watchdog groups have expressed concern about campaigns using generative AI to produce deepfakes – synthetic videos showing people doing things they did not do – that might deceive voters.
From Salon ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I tell Chris he’s too old for a watchdog now. He sleeps like a stone.”
From "Miracles on Maple Hill" by Virginia Sorensen
If Paxton wins, an incomplete picture of his finances could prevent watchdogs from evaluating his conflicts of interest as a senator, Holman and others said.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
But California regulators and consumer watchdogs disagree with AT&T on what constitutes a reliable replacement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Ethics watchdogs expressed dismay this week over the deals.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Pilot Mountain joins a growing list of towns and cities nationwide where independent public watchdogs are blowing the whistle on officials’ use of government credit cards known as purchasing cards, or “p-cards.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Native Australians kept captive dingos as companions, watchdogs, and even as living blankets, giving rise to the expression “five-dog night” to mean a very cold night.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
John Niles, a transportation consultant who has watchdogged the design since 2006, has come to believe it will work.
From Seattle Times ● May 11, 2017
Turner credits aggressive watchdogging that either closed and cleaned up or improved environmental standards at Howe Sound’s industrial sites.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
A series of corruption scandals has rocked City Hall, and each candidate says they are the best choice to provide better oversight and watchdogging.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2022
But Bonneville Power also faces more pressure - from those who pay the bills - to control and step up watchdogging of spending.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 23, 2019
Megadonors interested in watchdogging the media have instead gravitated to more cautious groups like Mr. Bozell’s Media Research Center.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2017
"I undertake watchdogging in all its branches," said Clo.
From The Lion's Mouse by A. M. (Alice Muriel) Williamson
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.
