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
These talks will be important to follow in Congress’s lame duck session and could be one of the most contentious debates around the NDAA.
—
Owen Tedford, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
With lawmakers off until after the election and only a short lame duck session left, here's our latest cheat sheet to keep tabs on the most consequential tech bills in play before the end of this year.
—Maria Curi, Axios, 26 Sep. 2024
Politics in Brief Government funding: President Joe Biden is expected to sign a funding bill that Congress passed yesterday, which would fund the government through Dec. 20 and set up another potential shutdown battle during the post-election lame duck session.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2024
This period, the waning months of a presidency, is known as the lame duck.
—Tamara Keith, NPR, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lame duck 
Owen Tedford, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
With lawmakers off until after the election and only a short lame duck session left, here's our latest cheat sheet to keep tabs on the most consequential tech bills in play before the end of this year.
—Maria Curi, Axios, 26 Sep. 2024
Politics in Brief Government funding: President Joe Biden is expected to sign a funding bill that Congress passed yesterday, which would fund the government through Dec. 20 and set up another potential shutdown battle during the post-election lame duck session.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2024
This period, the waning months of a presidency, is known as the lame duck.
—Tamara Keith, NPR, 21 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lame duck
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lame duck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lame duck
Cite this Entry
“Lame duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lame%20duck. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share