watchdog
a dog kept to guard property.
a watchful guardian: a self-appointed watchdog of the public morals.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a watchdog.
organized or functioning as a watchful guardian, especially against illegal or unethical conduct: a watchdog group in the legislature.
to watch carefully, especially so as to detect illegal or unethical conduct.
Origin of watchdog
1Words Nearby watchdog
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use watchdog in a sentence
There was no point at which Facebook or Twitter was becoming the watchdog.
Media Buying Briefing: Mediabrands CEO Daryl Lee discusses the soul of the media agency business | jim cooper | February 8, 2021 | DigidayAlso Wednesday, Europe’s longest-running and perhaps most important tech privacy case—also involving Facebook—began heading for a resolution after the Irish watchdog agreed to stop dragging it out.
A Facebook case in Belgium could open the floodgates for GDPR privacy suits | David Meyer | January 13, 2021 | Fortune“The money simply falls through a trap door without oversight from regulators and consumer watchdogs,” said Mike Dark, a lawyer with the nonprofit California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.
Profit and pain: How California’s largest nursing home chain amassed millions as scrutiny mounted | Debbie Cenziper, Joel Jacobs, Alice Crites, Will Englund | December 31, 2020 | Washington PostGovernment watchdogs have criticized Boeing, the prime contractor, for poor performance and NASA for lax oversight.
2021 could be a huge year for space. Here’s what’s to come from NASA, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos. | Christian Davenport | December 30, 2020 | Washington PostAnt’s top executives are part of a task force that already has almost daily interactions with watchdogs.
Chinese regulators order Ant Group to focus on payments, stop short of breakup | lbelanger225 | December 27, 2020 | Fortune
He charged his trusted advisor Yitzhak Molcho to act as a watchdog to prevent any progress.
Goodbye to Israel’s Lousy Government (Let’s Hope the Next One Isn’t Worse) | Alon Ben-Meir | December 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAccording to the watchdog group, this systemic abuse has led to hundreds of political prisoners being detained across the country.
One watchdog group reported shortages of ballots, technical problems, and ballot stuffing.
The familiar notion of the press as a watchdog for government only arose much later.
Thankfully, a watchdog group of unskewers at the Science Media Centre examined the actual facts.
In reality, each boy is an unpaid pion, a watchdog whose vigilance never relaxes.
The Secret Glory | Arthur MachenIn his capacity as the Swifts' business manager, he had earned the nickname "watchdog of the treasury."
Tom Swift and His Giant Telescope | Victor AppletonCurumilla lay down without saying a word, like a good watchdog, across the door of the lodge inhabited by Doa Clara.
The Pirates of the Prairies | Gustave AimardThe second-man was standing before the library door with folded arms and a watchdog expression on his cockney face.
Whispering Wires | Henry LeverageHe stabled Fox and Peanut, then went to the kitchen where Chappo, like a faithful old watchdog, was dozing beside the stove.
The Long Dim Trail | Forrestine C. Hooker
British Dictionary definitions for watchdog
/ (ˈwɒtʃˌdɒɡ) /
a dog kept to guard property
a person or group of persons that acts as a protector or guardian against inefficiency, illegal practices, etc
(as modifier): a watchdog committee
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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