sitting duck
noun
: an easy or defenseless target
Left unguarded, the fort was a sitting duck for enemy attack.
Examples of sitting duck in a Sentence
The tourists were sitting ducks for local thieves.
those stupid comments just made him a sitting duck for comedians
Recent Examples on the Web
As labor complications ensue, a blizzard rages outside trapping the family in their home – sitting ducks for whatever sinister presence might be in there with them.
—
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
But the companies that transport oil have parked their tankers on either side of the waterway, fearing their huge cargos would be sitting ducks for drone or missile attacks from Tehran as the war escalates.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Other than Adobe, which is expensive but very good, these companies are not sitting ducks.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
In this case, that makes Dumars and his team sitting ducks for anyone else with designs on their score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sitting duck
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Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
But the companies that transport oil have parked their tankers on either side of the waterway, fearing their huge cargos would be sitting ducks for drone or missile attacks from Tehran as the war escalates.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Other than Adobe, which is expensive but very good, these companies are not sitting ducks.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
In this case, that makes Dumars and his team sitting ducks for anyone else with designs on their score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sitting duck
Cite this Entry
“Sitting duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sitting%20duck. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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