as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at Defending Education, noted that gender ideology has become a lightning rod in schools across the country.
—
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2025
Within hours, the redesign became a lightning rod for cultural commentary.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been arguably the biggest lightning rod in the NFL since he was drafted 144th overall back in April.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Naomi Osaka was a tennis phenomenon — having won two Grand Slam titles by age 22 — who soon became a lightning rod over the subject of mental health in sports.
—Skyler Trepel Published, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 27 Aug. 2025
Within hours, the redesign became a lightning rod for cultural commentary.
—Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been arguably the biggest lightning rod in the NFL since he was drafted 144th overall back in April.
—Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Aug. 2025
Naomi Osaka was a tennis phenomenon — having won two Grand Slam titles by age 22 — who soon became a lightning rod over the subject of mental health in sports.
—Skyler Trepel Published, EW.com, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
Noun
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Newsom is a sitting duck waiting to get shellacked.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
30 Aug. 2025
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Without the government’s ability to share robust intelligence about new attack methods, SMBs become sitting ducks for cybercriminals who specifically target organizations that can’t afford to lose days or weeks.—
Cynthia Kaiser,
Fortune,
17 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Yet Hojlund only has to look at Scott McTominay and how Conte revitalised his career in Naples after years of being a United whipping boy by some sections of the fan base.—
Emmet Gates,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
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The Republicans and their puppet master, Donald Trump, are ginning up the machine against immigration and making Mayorkas their whipping boy for chaos at the border.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Not in our communities, but protecting assets & high priority targets downtown so that our @Chicago_Police don’t have to babysit the Bean or Buckingham Fountain for eight hours a day.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
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The fear of becoming a target will often be enough to induce compliance in advance.—
Steve Chapman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The altercation was captured on CTA surveillance video and cellphone footage taken by the theft victim, according to court documents.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
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Ten victims will testify on Wednesday, some of whom haven’t spoken since Epstein’s first arrest in 2005.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The YouTube cameras caught Kelce giving some tough love to Taylor, which involved a small head-butt and loud words.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
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My throat hit my butt and my butt hit the floor.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Tug-of-war also channels a dog’s natural instincts of capturing prey, keeping them engaged.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Each individual polyp is equipped with a mouth that is surrounded by tentacles that can protect itself or pull prey into their mouths, NOAA says.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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