How to pronounce “wag the dog”

Meaning

• [Verb]
• (idiomatic, politics) To divert negative political attention by use of a military operation.
• Used in a phrasal verb: the tail wags the dog: to control, as a minor part, a larger thing; to be the tail wagging the dog.

Practice Nearby Words

wag it, play the wag, work the refs, put the cat among the pigeons, wigwag, hassle, play politics, wax someone's tail, swiftboat, bewag, bait, poke the bear, take the bait, look for a dog to kick, stir up the animals, pettifogulize, set the cat among the pigeons, cat-and-mouse, weasel, play both sides against the middle, angle for, trojan-horse, sow dragon's teeth, knock a buzzard off a gut wagon, go walkies, flag, toe-dance, windlass, slow-walk, walk the dog, walk, hot dog, put on the dog, dogwalk, boondoggle, raw dog, catch flies, waggle, put lipstick on a pig, maneuver, shift, crap out, pander, whipsaw, take the game to, drive a wedge, play hardball, wedgie, put on dog, spin doctor, watergate, go to the bow-wows, race-bait, drag hunt, tickle the dragon's tail, have a dog in the fight, see which way the cat jumps, beat around the bush, ratfuck, wraggle, shoot the bull, chouse, kick the tires and light the fires, wish-wash, gaybait, swat, bedog, throw the bull around, fix someone's wagon, rag the puck, flog a dead horse, drag one's feet, lead someone up the garden path, sling the hatchet, fast-talk, tilt at windmills, red dog, dogwhip, pull a few strings, play up, twist the knife, stir the pot, shoot the breeze, play the fool, run for the exercise, work both sides against the middle, turn the knife in the wound, dog it, whip in, fish in troubled waters, whistle-stop, move the goalposts, pivot, hop the wag, wangle, play the devil with, stall, pull strings, troll, feed the fire

Similar Sounds

walk the dog, walk the talk, ouagadougou, walk the walk, walking the dog, what the duck, talk the talk, pig dog, pug dog, pug-dog