as in targets
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule
those stupid comments just made him a sitting duck for comedians
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Recent Examples of sitting ducks
Other than Adobe, which is expensive but very good, these companies are not sitting ducks.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
In this case, that makes Dumars and his team sitting ducks for anyone else with designs on their score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Shipping lanes suffered, neutrality became meaningless, and actual fishing vessels became sitting ducks.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Club owners are kind of sitting ducks.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Prisoners feared they were purposefully trapped in the A Tunnel, sitting ducks for a response from corrections officers.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Those lucky/sitting ducks were at the center of a manifold creative pressure, like the core of a planet pulled spherical by gravity.
—Kate Colby
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Russian forces trapped in Ukraine would have been sitting ducks for NATO missiles and aircraft.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026
In this case, that makes Dumars and his team sitting ducks for anyone else with designs on their score.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 22 Jan. 2026
Shipping lanes suffered, neutrality became meaningless, and actual fishing vessels became sitting ducks.
—New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025
Club owners are kind of sitting ducks.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Prisoners feared they were purposefully trapped in the A Tunnel, sitting ducks for a response from corrections officers.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
Those lucky/sitting ducks were at the center of a manifold creative pressure, like the core of a planet pulled spherical by gravity.
—Kate Colby
october 2, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2025
Russian forces trapped in Ukraine would have been sitting ducks for NATO missiles and aircraft.
—Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 10 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sitting ducks
Noun
-
Satellite analysis by the AP shows that the school, as well as other targets struck the same day, had characteristics visible from the air that could have identified them as civilian sites before they were struck.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The state is not on track to meet its targets, including a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and at least 85% by 2045.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In some cases, the department inadvertently released nude photos showing the faces of potential victims as well as names, email addresses and other identifying information that was either unredacted or not fully obscured.—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Police identified two other victims and contacted their parents.—
Nick Ferraro,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sitting ducks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sitting%20ducks. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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