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
Most importantly, Jones was coached by Matt Canada’s lame duck offensive line coach, Pat Meyer.
—
Mike Defabo, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Bronin was then a lame duck leaving office after declining to run for a third term.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
Schoen and Harbaugh worked together this spring during what felt like a tryout at best for the lame duck GM.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
No coach wants to be a lame duck.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lame duck
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.
Mike Defabo, New York Times, 4 May 2026
Bronin was then a lame duck leaving office after declining to run for a third term.
—Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 29 Apr. 2026
Schoen and Harbaugh worked together this spring during what felt like a tryout at best for the lame duck GM.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Apr. 2026
No coach wants to be a lame duck.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2026
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 14 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
