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sitting duck

noun

Definition of sitting ducknext
as in target
a person or thing that is the object of abuse, criticism, or ridicule those stupid comments just made him a sitting duck for comedians

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 sitting duck Other than Adobe, which is expensive but very good, these companies are not sitting ducks. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 17 Feb. 2026 Shipping lanes suffered, neutrality became meaningless, and actual fishing vessels became sitting ducks. — New Atlas, 28 Dec. 2025 In other words, a sitting duck. — Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 9 Dec. 2025 Club owners are kind of sitting ducks. — Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sitting duck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sitting duck
  1. target
  2. victim
Noun
  • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had also carried out overnight strikes against targets in Russia, including an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and a military airfield in the Rostov region.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The software communicates with JetKVM over USB, so even the target computer itself doesn't need network access.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of target
Noun
  • The victims and the first responders were honored before the game.
    — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • In practice, though, victims of instant-payment fraud often recover little.
    — Pawan Jain, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of victim

Browse Nearby Words

sitting
sitting duck
sitting ducks
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Cite this Entry

“Sitting duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sitting%20duck. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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