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 Of course, this has not been a typical time for Marte, who once again became a lightning rod of controversy after the three-time All-Star was a no-show on Monday against the Boston Red Sox. — Marc Carig, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026 Approval of the treatment would also be a boon for Moderna’s mRNA platform, which has become a political lightning rod. — Ed Silverman, STAT, 19 Aug. 2026 Suarez has been a lightning rod for conflict since he was elected to the City Commission in 2023, critiquing the city administration while pushing for significant changes. — Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 7 Aug. 2026 Jonathan Isaac Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac became one of the NBA's most prominent voices defending individual choice during the pandemic, after becoming a cultural lightning rod for refusing to kneel for the anthem in the NBA Bubble. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 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
  • Transits are what revealed most of the more than 6,000 exoplanets now known, and Roman’s planners expect the bulge’s target-rich environment to yield on order of 100,000 more.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 29 Aug. 2026
  • As a kinetic interceptor, Seeker appears designed to physically strike its target rather than rely on a conventional air-defense warhead.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of target
Noun
  • Four people with wounds were transported to Hennepin Healthcare to be treated for their injuries, where one of the victims died, Parten said Wednesday afternoon.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors argued at trial that Shirilla intentionally drove into the building to end her toxic relationship with Russo and that Flanagan was an unintended victim who happened to be in the car.
    — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Detectives later linked Scott to the crime scene through DNA recovered from an iced tea bottle and a cigarette butt.
    — Ahmed Jawadi, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Wednesday’s arrest made four of a kind for Smith, whose Dream Body Retreat caters to women receiving Brazilian butt lifts, tummy tucks, breast jobs and other procedures at one of Miami’s many office surgery centers.
    — DAVID J. NEAL, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of butt
Noun
  • That allowed sea water to infiltrate freshwater tributaries across the peninsula, especially in lagoons and deltas where clam and mussel farms provided ample prey.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Dolphins are versatile predators that adjust their diet based on local prey availability, Callan said.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 31 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lightning rod

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning rod

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