lame duck
noun
1
: one that is weak or that falls behind in ability or achievement
especially, chiefly British
: an ailing company
2
: an elected official or group continuing to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor
3
: one whose position or term of office will soon end
Examples of lame duck in a Sentence
The President was a lame duck during the end of his second term.
Recent Examples on the Web
With just 19 months left in his second and final term, the lame duck governor is scrambling to cement his gubernatorial legacy while also positioning himself as a pragmatic leader capable of steering his national party out of the wilderness.
—
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
But when the commission’s reports were finally available, Taft was in the unfortunate position of being a lame duck and could do little besides emphasize the need for further action.
—Laura Ellyn Smith, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
On, Christmas Eve 1992, after Bush had lost his reelection race, the lame duck president pardoned all of those still facing legal jeopardy from Iran-Contra.
—Time, 14 May 2025
Viewed as a lame duck last year after a succession of blunders, including an abrupt dissolution of Parliament that led to chaos, Mr. Macron has reacquired a raison d’être.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lame duck
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Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
But when the commission’s reports were finally available, Taft was in the unfortunate position of being a lame duck and could do little besides emphasize the need for further action.
—Laura Ellyn Smith, The Conversation, 9 May 2025
On, Christmas Eve 1992, after Bush had lost his reelection race, the lame duck president pardoned all of those still facing legal jeopardy from Iran-Contra.
—Time, 14 May 2025
Viewed as a lame duck last year after a succession of blunders, including an abrupt dissolution of Parliament that led to chaos, Mr. Macron has reacquired a raison d’être.
—Roger Cohen, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lame duck
Cite this Entry
“Lame duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lame%20duck. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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