dog whistle
noun
variants
or less commonly dog-whistle
1
: a whistle to call or direct a dog
especially
: one sounding at a frequency inaudible to the human ear
2
politics
: an expression or statement that has a secondary meaning intended to be understood only by a particular group of people
Democrats and liberals sometimes have gone to ridiculous lengths to portray speech by Republicans and conservatives as dog whistles responsible for inciting unstable people to carry out violent acts …—
The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch… habitually inserts dog-whistles into his speeches to motivate evangelical voters.—The Economist
—often used before another nounThe EconomistThat is the fundamental perversity of 'dog whistle politics', whereby political parties send coded messages that will be heard one way by their core supporters and another way altogether by others.—Robert E. Goodin
Robert E. GoodinExamples of dog whistle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Budden detailed Richman’s comments as a dog whistle of sorts for white artists who don’t want to stand next to Black artists but want to use or create Black art.
—Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 17 Oct. 2024
To momentarily curb his prefab MAGA scriptures and racist dog whistles, Trump needed to exit the realm of the overtly political—which, apparently, meant sitting with a giggly, goateed standup comedian.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Is that a dog whistle back to Vance’s racist falsehoods that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating people’s pets — which Trump also brought up at the debate?
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
Both assertions are about putting women and minorities in their place with venomous dog whistles of resentment and rancor that ring clearly in the ears of a certain set of voters, ones that have long made up Trump’s most loyal following — angry young white men.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
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Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 17 Oct. 2024
To momentarily curb his prefab MAGA scriptures and racist dog whistles, Trump needed to exit the realm of the overtly political—which, apparently, meant sitting with a giggly, goateed standup comedian.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, The New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2024
Is that a dog whistle back to Vance’s racist falsehoods that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating people’s pets — which Trump also brought up at the debate?
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
Both assertions are about putting women and minorities in their place with venomous dog whistles of resentment and rancor that ring clearly in the ears of a certain set of voters, ones that have long made up Trump’s most loyal following — angry young white men.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dog whistle
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Cite this Entry
“Dog whistle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dog%20whistle. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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