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Synonyms

whistle for

British  

verb

  1. informal (intr, preposition) to seek or expect in vain

"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
whistle for Idioms  

  1. Ask for or expect without any prospect of success, as in If you want a cash refund, you can just whistle for it. [Mid-1700s]

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.

No wonder Arteta joined his players on the pitch after the final whistle for a raucous celebration in front of the jubilant Arsenal fans.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

You can get a shockingly loud emergency whistle for just a few dollars.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2023

Wrexham's tweet on the final whistle for their recent late win over promotion rivals Notts County had 10.5m impressions - almost four times more than Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool had for their games.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2023

“Some people have heard that as a dog whistle for racism and hate,” he said.

From Washington Post • Nov. 19, 2022

I tried to whistle for Frightful, but couldn’t purse my shaking lips tight enough to get out anything but pfffff.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

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.