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
The case became a lightning rod for the region, with many latching onto the defense theory that Read was the scapegoat in a conspiracy by local prosecutors and police to cover for one of their own.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 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
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
The case became a lightning rod for the region, with many latching onto the defense theory that Read was the scapegoat in a conspiracy by local prosecutors and police to cover for one of their own.
—Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 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
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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Gordie is invisible to his mother and a whipping boy to his father.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
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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
Noun
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Over the last three years both Teck and Anglo have been takeover targets for their mining rivals, Australia’s BHP and Swiss-based Glencore.—
Tim Treadgold,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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The signatories — which included the likes of EV manufacturers Volvo and Polestar, as well as material suppliers, battery manufacturers and grid operators — said the introduction of the target had already triggered hundreds of billions of euros in new investment.—
Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The victims said the thief stole close to $60,000 in cash and dozens of checks that were inside the box.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
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The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as Daniella Weisman from Glencoe, a spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.—
Jillian Frankel,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But a butt dial revealed the truth about what actually happened, the complaint alleges.—
KC Baker,
PEOPLE,
9 Sep. 2025
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In the Mets’ clubhouse, Soto’s lack of speed is the butt of good-natured ribbing.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Cats can become infected by ingesting raw meat or prey that carries the parasite.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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However, without strong safeguards, agentic systems can lead to loss of control, resulting in misinterpreted intent, falling prey to fraud, or exposing sensitive data.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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