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
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
Cynthia Kaiser, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sitting ducks
Noun
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First-round rookie Colston Loveland should see ample targets from the second-year Williams.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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In previous years, attacks on energy targets have intensified in the run up to and during winter.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 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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And none of those figures includes losses victims were too embarrassed to report.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sitting ducks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sitting%20ducks. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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