as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
Still, the trade has become a lightning rod for conversation among the 76ers’ fan base.
—
David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The lightning rod former New York Times opinion columnist was handed the reins at CBS News in October.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Espresso becomes a lightning rod that awakens chocolate.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Jan. 2026
The Dodgers are the convenient lightning rod for all of this, as back-to-back World Series champions with an ownership that seems to care as much about winning as its fan base does.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The lightning rod former New York Times opinion columnist was handed the reins at CBS News in October.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
Espresso becomes a lightning rod that awakens chocolate.
—Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Jan. 2026
The Dodgers are the convenient lightning rod for all of this, as back-to-back World Series champions with an ownership that seems to care as much about winning as its fan base does.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
Noun
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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
-
Shipping lanes suffered, neutrality became meaningless, and actual fishing vessels became sitting ducks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There will always be whipping boys at the World Cup, a team who arrive underprepared or in chaos of some description.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
13 Nov. 2025
-
Gordie is invisible to his mother and a whipping boy to his father.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Or, indeed, anyone else’s, given its alluring but thoroughly peculiar jumble of comic, dramatic and generally antic tones, or the increasingly indeterminate target of its hollow social satire.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
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An app can also control modes and track real-time data—recording trips via GPS, monitoring performance metrics, and adjusting power output to help maintain a target heart rate.—
Kendall Hunter,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Family members of the shooting victims cried as the sentence was handed down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The victim was taken to Hartford Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to state police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The perfect jeans need to come in a just-right wash, lift my butt, and make my legs look longer.—
Cheryl Wagemann,
InStyle,
15 Feb. 2026
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And in mainstream entertainment, aspects of Chinese culture or identity were often turned into the butt of the joke.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For Rebillard, the fossil is also proof that all three prey species not only lived together in the same geologic time but also died together in the same week or even day.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Bigger fish slammed prey in a shallow pool next to the bank.—
Bryan Hendricks,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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