dog with a bone

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformalfigurative

   Someone who refuses to give up on a subject, question or task and keeps working at it until it is settled.

   Grammar: Used after be or like: she is like a dog with a bone.

   Patterns

   • be like a dog with a bone
   • be a dog with a bone about something

   Once she suspected an error in the accounts, she was like a dog with a bone until she found it.

   My brother is a dog with a bone when it comes to chess puzzles.

   The reporter was a dog with a bone about the missing funds.

2. 2phraseidiominformaldisapproving

   Someone who will not let a topic or complaint go, often in a way that annoys other people.

   Grammar: Often has a critical tone: stop being a dog with a bone.

   Patterns

   • act like a dog with a bone
   • be a dog with a bone over something

   He keeps bringing up that old argument, like a dog with a bone.

   Don't be a dog with a bone about the parking ticket; just pay it.

   My aunt is a dog with a bone whenever the subject of the will comes up.

Common combinations

like a dog with a bone

He worked on the problem like a dog with a bone.

be a dog with a bone

You always are a dog with a bone when you think you are right.

stubborn as a dog with a bone

She is as stubborn as a dog with a bone about the contract.

act like a dog with a bone

The lawyer acted like a dog with a bone during questioning.

go at it like a dog with a bone

The team went at the bug like a dog with a bone.

Synonyms and how they differ

tenacious

Tenacious is a formal, usually positive word for determination, while the idiom can also sound annoyed.

persistent

Persistent is neutral and standard, whereas the idiom is informal and more vivid.

obsessed

Obsessed suggests an unhealthy focus, but the idiom suggests stubborn effort that may be admirable.

relentless

Relentless suggests never easing off and can sound severe, while dog with a bone sounds more playful.

Opposites

Word family

dogged adjective

stubborn and determined

doggedly adverb

in a determined, never-giving-up way

doggedness noun

stubborn determination

Commonly confused: dog with a bone or dog in the manger?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “dog with a bone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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