as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
She's been viewed by members of both major parties as both a lightning rod and an advocate for change, in a similar vein to Trump himself.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Fly like a jet stream Swift became a lightning rod in the debate over carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 after a study published by the Yard, a content and public relations firm, put the Eras Tour singer at the top of a wasteful list.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
The other side: The political lightning rod sparked protests and testimony from over 1,500 opponents, including educators, health care workers, labor unions and free speech advocates.
—Alissa Widman Neese, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
Because of his draft status and his contract, Power has become a lightning rod for criticism for a frustrated Sabres fan base.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
Fly like a jet stream Swift became a lightning rod in the debate over carbon dioxide emissions in 2022 after a study published by the Yard, a content and public relations firm, put the Eras Tour singer at the top of a wasteful list.
—Bryan West, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
The other side: The political lightning rod sparked protests and testimony from over 1,500 opponents, including educators, health care workers, labor unions and free speech advocates.
—Alissa Widman Neese, Axios, 28 Mar. 2025
Because of his draft status and his contract, Power has become a lightning rod for criticism for a frustrated Sabres fan base.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
Noun
-
As stars sit around, waiting for a random ring that will change their life, often surrounded by TV cameras ready to broadcast the moment to the world, they’re reduced to sitting ducks.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Maybe instead of rats the cartoon should show sitting ducks.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Once more, Turkey seems to have become a whipping boy for all manner of interests, some of which have little to do with the realities of Turkey itself.—
Hugh Pope,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2010
-
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
-
Stellantis’s European operation is a weak-looking target for new Chinese competition.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
-
More than 165 Shahed drones, Iranian drones, have been deployed again against completely civilian targets.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
Noun
-
That fight for victim's rights has shaped all their lives.—
Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
-
In search of a motive, detectives got a search warrant for the victim’s CSUN email account, court records show.—
Matthew Ormseth,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
Joy Behar absolutely will not ever make a gluten-free lasagna for her own best friend, but has graciously offered a generous donation of several cc's of butt fat to inject into her The View cohosts' faces.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
9 May 2025
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The Miami area surgeon in a 2023 Brazilian butt lift death has performed his last legal BBL surgery in Florida after the state’s Board of Medicine approved his punishment.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
Often, people who fall prey to scams don’t want to admit they could have been fooled — but that shame can in turn keep others in the dark.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
11 May 2025
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Some quarterbacks have stronger arms, some have quicker releases, some can run, and some can improvise amidst the dangers of a defense that sees the quarterback as its prey.—
Cary Goodman,
New York Daily News,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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