lightning rod

noun

Definition of lightning rodnext
as in sitting duck

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of lightning rod Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour, in the span of less than two weeks, became an unexpected lightning rod for controversy and conversation about artist activism amid Israel’s deadly war in Gaza. — Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026 McBride, the first transgender member of Congress, has become a lightning rod in Congress among Republicans in her first term. — Caroline Linton, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026 The cybersecurity threats that AI poses have become a political lightning rod ahead of the midterm elections, as lawmakers face more pressure about regulating the technology and public angst around AI's data center buildout grows. — Cj Haddad, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026 The objection reflects how radically the perception of Khrzhanovsky’s Dau experiment has shifted over the course of two decades — from transcendent art project to exploitative scandal to, now, geopolitical lightning rod. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
  1. sitting duck
  2. whipping boy
  3. target
  4. victim
  5. butt
  6. prey
Noun
  • Only the ridiculous American League could turn Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow from a sitting duck into a potential candidate for Executive of the Year in less than a week.
    — Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 30 June 2026
  • In Ukraine, tanks—the backbone of 20th-century armies—have become sitting ducks for drones.
    — Nancy A. Youssef, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Definition of sitting duck
Noun
  • Apparently, this happens all the time because Daisy is Martha’s makeup artist as well as traveling companion, sounding board, and whipping boy.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The former Maple Leaf was a whipping boy in Toronto whenever the Leafs couldn't get past the second round of the playoffs, but his first postseason in Vegas has been downright magical.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
Definition of whipping boy
Noun
  • Depending on the system and target, the heat can damage sensors, electronics, structural components or other critical parts.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Western military officers have said key military installations in Kaliningrad would be a likely first target should Russia ever launch an attack on any NATO ally.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of target
Noun
  • South African police said Monday that another body of a woman was discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing the total number of female victims recently found in the area to 11.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The family of one of the victims in the shooting, Tiru Chabba, is already suing OpenAI in federal court.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Stagecoach had Nickelback on the bill a couple years ago, which points to the overlap these days between butt rock and country music.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Long road trips don’t need to hurt your back or butt anymore; the Gravity has massagers built into both front seats.
    — Tyler Hayes, PC Magazine, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of butt
Noun
  • Can consumers participate online without falling prey to scammers?
    — Jon M. Huntsman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The Project’s ranks now include about 80 fishermen manning 15 boats who also support the tagging and research of their erstwhile prey (their work has led to the recent world-first tagging of 10 tiger sharks in Indonesian waters).
    — Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of prey

Browse Nearby Words

lightning
lightning rod
lightning rods
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Cite this Entry

“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on lightning rod

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning rod

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