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 More might be coming, but the Royals reassigned hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, who had become a lightning rod for fan discontent. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026 This has caused a funding crisis that has become something of a lightning rod for culture wars debates over the future of the BBC. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 Household costs have become a political lightning rod, both in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections and again in 2026, ahead of the midterms. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour, in the span of less than two weeks, became an unexpected lightning rod for controversy and conversation about artist activism amid Israel’s deadly war in Gaza. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 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
  • Apparently, this happens all the time because Daisy is Martha’s makeup artist as well as traveling companion, sounding board, and whipping boy.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of whipping boy
Noun
  • President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Las Vegas’ Michael Mayer (six receptions, 32 yards) was a frequent target.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of target
Noun
  • The attack shocked the nation, and Jordan declared three days of mourning for the victims.
    — Omar Akour, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • On Sunday, Jordan’s Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah attended a funeral held for the victims while Jordan’s King Abdullah II visited the injured in the hospital earlier.
    — Aoife Walsh, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • On a visit to the Bargello sculpture museum in Florence, Italy, a 3-year-old friend of mine was fascinated by its statues’ naked butts.
    — Blake Gopnik, New York Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • At the climax, a handful of right-wing would-be militia men are used as the butt of the joke in an elaborate sequence that’s all about foiling terrorists.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of butt
Noun
  • In Alaska, salmon are one of the main prey sources for belugas—and the fish need cold water to develop their eggs, keep their metabolism stable and prevent energy depletion during long migratory journeys.
    — Ryan Green, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But even the slower, more deliberate decision-making can fall prey to any number of cognitive biases.
    — Shayla Love, Vox, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of prey

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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 27 Oct. 2026.

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