whistleblower
noun
whis·tle·blow·er
ˈ(h)wi-səl-ˌblō-ər 
variants
or whistle-blower
plural whistleblowers or whistle-blowers
: one who reveals something covert or who informs against another
especially
: an employee who brings wrongdoing by an employer or by other employees to the attention of a government or law enforcement agency
Note: A whistleblower is commonly protected legally from retaliation.
I think whistleblowers play a hugely important role in countering the worst corporate and government excesses. —
Damon Poeter
Damon Poeter … pledges to protect whistle-blowers who fear reprisals for their efforts. —Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal Congress also added significant new protection for whistleblowers. The 1986 act provides remedies including reinstatement, back-pay with interest, and, as appropriate, punitive damages for whistleblowers who are discharged, demoted, or discriminated against due to involvement with a False Claims disclosure. —Bradford A. Penney
Bradford A. Penney
whistleblowing
adjective
or whistle-blowing
a whistleblowing report
Many states have already enacted laws that protect whistle-blowing employees from retaliation.
—Greg Critser
Greg Critser
whistleblowing
noun
or whistle-blowing
… a National Security Agency agent who got in trouble for whistle-blowing.
—Renée Camus
Renée Camus
Synonyms
Examples of whistleblower in a Sentence
There are laws to protect whistleblowers who reveal corporate malfeasance.
Recent Examples on the Web
Experts called the carbon fiber construction of the Titan fundamentally flawed and a whistleblower who worked on a predecessor to the Titan vessel raised concerns about the inefficiency of the hull design.
—Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 31 May 2024
After a years-long battle, fired Opa-locka Police Chief James Dobson has reached a settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, alleging his dismissal was in retaliation for reporting corruption.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
Empowering whistleblowers—for real For individuals to feel confident about coming forward, organizations must value whistleblowers, fostering a culture of protection and providing a community of support.
—Sherron Watkins, Fortune, 24 May 2024
At this point, incidents involving any type of Boeing aircraft are making headlines — even though whistleblower concerns tend to focus on the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for whistleblower 
Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 31 May 2024
After a years-long battle, fired Opa-locka Police Chief James Dobson has reached a settlement in a whistleblower lawsuit against the city, alleging his dismissal was in retaliation for reporting corruption.
—Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 24 May 2024
Empowering whistleblowers—for real For individuals to feel confident about coming forward, organizations must value whistleblowers, fostering a culture of protection and providing a community of support.
—Sherron Watkins, Fortune, 24 May 2024
At this point, incidents involving any type of Boeing aircraft are making headlines — even though whistleblower concerns tend to focus on the 737 Max and 787 Dreamliner.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for whistleblower
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whistleblower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near whistleblower
Cite this Entry
“Whistleblower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whistleblower. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.
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