lightning rod

noun

Definition of lightning rodnext
as in sitting duck

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of lightning rod The company and its surveillance devices have become a lightning rod for anxieties around surveillance in the US, embodying concerns about privacy, tech industry oversight, and police abuse of power all in one public gadget. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 5 Aug. 2026 One of Giannoulias’ top donors, asset manager and close Emanuel ally Michael Sacks, has become a lightning rod for Johnson and his left-leaning allies. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 Ironically, the ETFs, introduced in late May to broaden investment opportunities for retail traders and stem outflows into similar products abroad, have become a lightning rod for criticism and blamed for amplifying volatility. — Youkyung Lee, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been a lightning rod for controversy ever since the first casting and design reveals, igniting afresh with each new trailer. — ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
  1. sitting duck
  2. whipping boy
  3. target
  4. victim
  5. butt
  6. prey
Noun
  • Only the ridiculous American League could turn Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow from a sitting duck into a potential candidate for Executive of the Year in less than a week.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • In Ukraine, tanks—the backbone of 20th-century armies—have become sitting ducks for drones.
    — Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Definition of sitting duck
Noun
  • The former Maple Leaf was a whipping boy in Toronto whenever the Leafs couldn't get past the second round of the playoffs, but his first postseason in Vegas has been downright magical.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
  • The middle class or big corporations don’t want to become the mayor’s whipping boy.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026
Definition of whipping boy
Noun
  • Armstrong gives the Chiefs a tall target among a shorter group, and his potential as a red zone blocker should only help his case to make the 53-man roster.
    — Jesse Newell, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • The two sides have escalated their air war on one another, with Ukraine increasingly firing barrages of drones at targets deep inside Russia, including warehouses and industrial plants as well as refineries.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of target
Noun
  • The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel previously alleged that there were 44 victims throughout 2025.
    — Mosheh Gains, NBC news, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The victim, a 15-year-old female, was home with her 5-year-old and 7-year-old family members when Reyes violently made entry into the residence after breaking a hole in the wall between the apartments.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Communion wasn’t the only reason my butt went numb from sitting on a wooden pew for so long.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026
  • For now, Paramount isn’t producing the billion-dollar box office smashes that drive millions of butts into theater seats (not to mention robust sales of novelty popcorn buckets).
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of butt
Noun
  • Humpback whales create bubble clouds to corral their prey and then lunge through the center to swallow the small fish.
    — Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2026
  • African lions are considered vulnerable, zoo officials said, adding that their population has decreased by 50% over the last 25 years because of habitat loss, loss of prey and conflicts between humans and lions.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of prey

Browse Nearby Words

lightning
lightning rod
lightning rods
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Cite this Entry

“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lightning rod

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning rod

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