lightning rod
noun
1
: a grounded metallic rod set up on a structure (such as a building) to protect it from lightning
2
: one that serves to divert attack from another
3
: one that is a frequent target of criticism or focus of controversy
she has become a convenient lightning rod for voters' discontent with law-and-order issues—
Aric Press et al.
Aric Press et al.Examples of lightning rod in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Biden's mental acuity while in office continues to be a lightning rod despite Trump taking office again in January.
—James Powel, USA Today, 22 May 2025
At the heart of it all, standing like a lightning rod between legacy and future-forward energy, was artist and 10-time Grammy nominee, Janelle Monáe.
—Isaiah Mikhail, Essence, 13 May 2025
The case has become an unlikely political lightning rod as Democrats seize on Abrego Garcia’s Kafkaesque situation as a cruel consequence of Trump’s mass deportations and disregard for the courts.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
The question now, perhaps, isn’t whether Psaki or anyone else is the next Maddow, but whether the 9 P.M. Eastern hour on MSNBC still matters at all, as either a source of news or a lightning rod for liberal energy.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
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.
James Powel, USA Today, 22 May 2025
At the heart of it all, standing like a lightning rod between legacy and future-forward energy, was artist and 10-time Grammy nominee, Janelle Monáe.
—Isaiah Mikhail, Essence, 13 May 2025
The case has become an unlikely political lightning rod as Democrats seize on Abrego Garcia’s Kafkaesque situation as a cruel consequence of Trump’s mass deportations and disregard for the courts.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025
The question now, perhaps, isn’t whether Psaki or anyone else is the next Maddow, but whether the 9 P.M. Eastern hour on MSNBC still matters at all, as either a source of news or a lightning rod for liberal energy.
—Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning%20rod. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share