deep throat

noun

often capitalized D&T
: an informant who divulges damaging information under cover of anonymity

Examples of deep throat in a Sentence

an accountant who had turned deep throat, he was the first to leak the information that the company had been cooking its books for years
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
From Wednesday, all air crew arriving in city must provide deep throat saliva samples, by spitting into a cup. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 8 July 2020 The changes follow the announcement earlier this week that crew members would be required to submit deep throat saliva samples at Hong Kong International Airport. Julia Horowitz, CNN, 9 July 2020 The airlines dropped flights to the city after Hong Kong’s health authority mandated new deep throat testing and quarantine rules for anyone flying there, including possible mandatory hospitalization for anyone that tests positive for COVID-19. Dallas News, 9 July 2020

Word History

Etymology

from the nickname given to such an informant in the Watergate scandal by Bob Woodward born 1943 U.S. journalist, from the title of a pornographic film (1972)

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deep throat was in 1976

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deep throat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deep%20throat. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.

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