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
But on the domestic front, Macron increasingly resembles a lame duck.
—
Cole Stangler, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Acquiring Tucker from the Houston Astros last offseason represented an unusually risky and aggressive move for Hoyer, who went into this season as a lame duck and recently signed a contract extension for an undisclosed length.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Trump becomes a lame duck, and the US focus after the mid-term elections returns to traditional foreign policy norms of opposing Moscow and its backer Beijing.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
President Lai also runs the risk of being viewed as a lame duck if recall votes as a tactical approach continue to be defeated.
—Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
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.
Cole Stangler, Time, 9 Sep. 2025
Acquiring Tucker from the Houston Astros last offseason represented an unusually risky and aggressive move for Hoyer, who went into this season as a lame duck and recently signed a contract extension for an undisclosed length.
—Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
Trump becomes a lame duck, and the US focus after the mid-term elections returns to traditional foreign policy norms of opposing Moscow and its backer Beijing.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
President Lai also runs the risk of being viewed as a lame duck if recall votes as a tactical approach continue to be defeated.
—Earl Carr, Forbes.com, 27 July 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 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share