wags the dog

A form of wag the dog — To divert negative political attention by use of a military operation.

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Meanings

verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of wag the dog
Cite this entry
APA

wags the dog. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wags%20the%20dog

MLA

“wags the dog.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wags%20the%20dog. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wags the dog,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wags%20the%20dog.

Source: wags the dog on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.