lightning rod

noun

Definition of lightning rodnext
as in sitting duck

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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 More might be coming, but the Royals reassigned hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, who had become a lightning rod for fan discontent. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026 This has caused a funding crisis that has become something of a lightning rod for culture wars debates over the future of the BBC. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 Household costs have become a political lightning rod, both in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections and again in 2026, ahead of the midterms. — Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 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 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
  • The Commission’s proposed 46% target falls short of that ambition, and of its own analysis, which identifies 50% as the economically optimal pathway to 2040.
    — Sophie Dembinski, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Still, Musk has a track record of setting optimistic release targets for Tesla products, only to miss them by years.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of target
Noun
  • The Baton Rouge Police Department identified the victims as 21-year-old Leah Fonte and 21-year-old Shane Hirstius, who were engaged.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has begun notifying victims impacted by a recent data breach of driver’s license and motor vehicle data, but not everyone whose information was stolen will receive an alert.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • Long before the lucky pregame butt squeezes or the messages written on the back of Haley Cavinder's pants or even taking the heat for Jake Ferguson's bad game, there was the classic shooter taking his shot.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Any piece of trash that's smaller than 2 inches is considered micro-litter, with cigarette butts being the most common.
    — Katie Standing, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of butt
Noun
  • In the new National Geographic documentary Super Scam Me, journalist Maria van Zeller transforms herself into the perfect prey to dive deep into how romance fraud works.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Waterfowl and shorebirds are natural hosts of avian influenza viruses, the Ojai Raptor Center said, eagles like Jackie can be exposed through contact with infected birds or infected prey.
    — Allison Gibson, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of prey

Browse Nearby Words

lightning
lightning rod
lightning rods
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on lightning rod

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lightning rod

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All