watchdog

plural watchdogs

1. A guard dog.
2. figurativelyAn individual or group that monitors the activities of another entity (such as an individual, corporation, non-profit group, or governmental organization) on behalf of the public to ensure that entity does not behave illegally or unethically.

   Since 2020, independent watchdogs have criticized the lack of protocol that allowed the FBI to successfully prebunk the true Post story.

   2024 October 30, “ELECTION INTERFERENCE: HOW THE FBI “PREBUNKED” A TRUE STORY ABOUT THE BIDEN FAMILY’S CORRUPTION IN ADVANCE OF THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION”, in United States House Judiciary Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, archived from the original on 20 Feb 2025, page 990

   2 more examples

   Governments must "outline how they will reassure passengers that it will be as safe as possible to travel by public transport", according to industry watchdogs Transport Focus and London TravelWatch.

   2020 May 20, “Network News: Watchdogs say clear guidance needed to reassure passengers”, in Rail, page 9

   The UK’s data watchdog is seeking clarification from Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta about parental controls on its popular virtual reality headset, as campaigners warned that it could breach an online children’s safety code.

   2022 January 9, Dan Milmo, “UK data watchdog seeks talks with Meta over child protection concerns”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 31 Mar 2022

3. abbreviationellipsisbusinessEllipsis of watchdog timer.

present singular third person watchdogs · participle present watchdogging · participle past watchdogged · past watchdogged

1. To perform a function analogous to that of a watchdog; to guard and warn.
2. businessTo be continuously reset by a watchdog timer.