political football

noun

: an issue that politicians argue about and try to use for their advantage

This issue is too important to be treated as a political football.

Examples of political football in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Presidents and members of Congress of both parties have understood for decades that American science is too valuable to be turned into a political football. —David J. Skorton, STAT, 12 June 2026

Of course, there's plenty of political football being played in this stadium showdown. —Jim Reineking, USA Today, 8 June 2026

Days after the high cost of World Cup fees became a political football, officials in New Jersey on Friday revealed the final price fans will pay just to get to the stadium. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Apr. 2026

America’s $39 trillion national debt has become a familiar political football—batted around in budget negotiations, invoked at congressional hearings, and largely ignored between elections. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for political football

• mercaptoethanol
• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol