dog 1 of 2

noun

ˈdȯg How to pronounce dog (audio)
Definition of dognext
1
as in puppy
a domestic mammal that is related to the wolves and foxes a dog who needs a loving home

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others she must think that you're a real dog after hearing those tasteless jokes you told last night

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dog

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to chase
to go after or on the track of star athletes being dogged by fans when they're out in public

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to hound
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders tired of constantly having to dog their son about cleaning his room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dog
Noun
The photos show the newlyweds on what looks to be a cute morning date, walking their dogs (Noon, a miniature schnauzer, and Phil, a pocket bully) to a coffee shop. — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 7 Aug. 2026 The video shows the dog giving a range of emotions with a towel draped over his head. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
The company is also developing a reusable heavy lift rocket called Starship, but the craft has been dogged by development delays. — John Ruwitch, NPR, 4 Aug. 2026 The investigation has been dogged by unanswered questions, such as how many people are believed to have taken part in her abduction and whether she was taken by someone who knew her. — Michael Casey, Los Angeles Times, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dog
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dog
  1. puppy
  2. jerk
  3. chase
  4. hound
  5. canine
  6. clown
  7. track
  8. needle
Noun
  • After Beth’s death, Queen Camilla adopted a new puppy named Moley.
    — Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Rowan then turned around to show off their new puppy, Shippy.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of puppy
Noun
  • That screwed up the works / And not due to his sloppy hiring / Of a crew of incompetent jerks.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Kris and Billy watch that one together in an intimate sleepover, sinking into the murky texture of a scene in which the virginal actor allowed a jerk to take off her clothes.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of jerk
Verb
  • Dylan Lee issued a pair of two-out walks in the eighth before getting pinch-hitter Paul Goldschmidt to strike out chasing a heater.
    — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • There was plenty of evidence on this point, the most important being that the Kittrells were being chased by creditors at the time of their transfers and the transfers left them insolvent and unable to satisfy their debts.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of chase
Verb
  • These not-so-genial genitors are hounding hiring managers, shadowing their kid’s Zoom calls off-camera, and even applying for jobs on their behalf, per the paper’s reporting, leaving their employers flabbergasted.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Claude will create a workout plan, schedule your workouts, hound you with reminders and chart your progress in a tidy dashboard.
    — Sara Connell, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Definition of hound
Noun
  • In a second experiment involving 12 dogs, Cuaya and her colleagues showed the canines a mix of faces expressing happiness, sadness, anger and fear.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Luxury hotels in Miami are competing to pamper guests’ dogs with gourmet menus, spa treatments and canine concierges.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of canine
Noun
  • An Illinois teen has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly committing a deadly stabbing attack while dressed in a clown outfit.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Tyquan Thornton Tyquan Thornton is not only known for being a speedster, with one of the fastest combine times in history, but a class clown as well.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of clown
Verb
  • Those who’ve reported to ICE offices after receiving the notices have been outfitted with ankle monitors that allow authorities to track their location, Dorsainvil says, and many have been assigned court dates in about a month.
    — Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act means the court cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of track
Verb
  • McDaniel needles the other side of the ball too, James said, warning defenders to be ready for a deep pass before hitting them with a quick out.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
  • Drummer Jay Russell kept to stark rattles, Sam Shipstone patched in his scratchy electric guitar, and Ryan Needham needled through grumbling basslines.
    — Victoria Borlando, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
Definition of needle

Phrases Containing dog

Browse Nearby Words

do for
dog
dog's breakfast
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dog. Accessed 13 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dog

Nglish: Translation of dog for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dog

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of salvo

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All