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
Related article Boeing timeline: Inside the air giant’s turbulent journey in recent years
Since January a number of whistleblowers have come forward with fresh allegations against Boeing.
—Gregory Wallace, CNN, 3 July 2024
The district received a directed verdict on the harassment and whistleblower claims and a jury verdict as to the national origin claim.
—Jean Marie Middleton, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2024
The effect of government actions against whistleblowers has caused significant damage to journalism in the US and all over the globe, Vincent and Gibbons said.
—Ellen Ioanes, Vox, 25 June 2024
While Assange’s supporters saw him as a courageous whistleblower of government misdeeds, his critics saw him as a self-promoter oblivious to the harm that his leaks might cause.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for whistleblower 
Gregory Wallace, CNN, 3 July 2024
The district received a directed verdict on the harassment and whistleblower claims and a jury verdict as to the national origin claim.
—Jean Marie Middleton, Sun Sentinel, 26 June 2024
The effect of government actions against whistleblowers has caused significant damage to journalism in the US and all over the globe, Vincent and Gibbons said.
—Ellen Ioanes, Vox, 25 June 2024
While Assange’s supporters saw him as a courageous whistleblower of government misdeeds, his critics saw him as a self-promoter oblivious to the harm that his leaks might cause.
—Adela Suliman, Washington Post, 25 June 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 15 Jul. 2024.
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