soft target
noun
: a target that can be attacked easily because it does not have military defenses
hospitals, schools, and other soft targets
—often used figurativelyelderly people who are a soft target for criminals
Examples of soft target in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Possible attacks include using autonomous drone swarms against a soft target like a stadium full of people or dispersing drones bearing biological or chemical agents over a large area.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 24 May 2021
But then that peripheral shooter will get lucky, evade three hits in a row, and suddenly the boss, perhaps sensing a soft target, is at that fighter's back.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 5 Mar. 2025
The April 21 start of the offseason program is a soft target, but May 5 looms larger once coaches are allowed to work with Purdy and players on the field.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
What’s troubling is that strategy wasn’t good enough against a soft target and one that could have fueled a midseason run.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Avoid becoming the soft target that ends up in the headlines by ensuring your security posture is more robust than that of your competition.
—Daniel Baiz, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
The sundown start of the Yom Kippur holiday on Sept. 24 became a soft target set as an unofficial deadline to reach a deal or, once again, retreat.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023
Starved of cash, allies, and engineers, Big Tech will be a soft target for other, stiffer forms of regulation, like breakups.
—Cory Doctorow, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023
How marine pre-historic reptiles lost their heads Scientists have for decades theorized that the reptile's fleshy neck was a soft target, according to a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
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IEEE Spectrum, 24 May 2021
But then that peripheral shooter will get lucky, evade three hits in a row, and suddenly the boss, perhaps sensing a soft target, is at that fighter's back.
—Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 5 Mar. 2025
The April 21 start of the offseason program is a soft target, but May 5 looms larger once coaches are allowed to work with Purdy and players on the field.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2025
What’s troubling is that strategy wasn’t good enough against a soft target and one that could have fueled a midseason run.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Avoid becoming the soft target that ends up in the headlines by ensuring your security posture is more robust than that of your competition.
—Daniel Baiz, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
The sundown start of the Yom Kippur holiday on Sept. 24 became a soft target set as an unofficial deadline to reach a deal or, once again, retreat.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 27 Sep. 2023
Starved of cash, allies, and engineers, Big Tech will be a soft target for other, stiffer forms of regulation, like breakups.
—Cory Doctorow, WIRED, 7 Sep. 2023
How marine pre-historic reptiles lost their heads Scientists have for decades theorized that the reptile's fleshy neck was a soft target, according to a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 20 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Soft target.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soft%20target. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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