as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
Not everybody loved Lamar’s halftime show, but there’s no denying its standing as a cultural lightning rod with a long tail of listenership — exactly what the NFL, and Kendrick himself, must have wanted.
—
Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2025
Transgender inclusion in women’s sports has become a political lightning rod, dividing the nation and playing an increasingly central role in political campaigns.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 6 Feb. 2025
The actor, who stars in this weekend’s upcoming wide release, Snow White, has become a lightning rod of a figure amid the Israel-Gaza conflict as she’s outspoken in support of her home country.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
With Black consumers having $2 trillion in buying power, this boycott could be the lightning rod that sparks a much wider movement.
—Allyson Kapin, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 19 Feb. 2025
Transgender inclusion in women’s sports has become a political lightning rod, dividing the nation and playing an increasingly central role in political campaigns.
—Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 6 Feb. 2025
The actor, who stars in this weekend’s upcoming wide release, Snow White, has become a lightning rod of a figure amid the Israel-Gaza conflict as she’s outspoken in support of her home country.
—Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Mar. 2025
With Black consumers having $2 trillion in buying power, this boycott could be the lightning rod that sparks a much wider movement.
—Allyson Kapin, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
Noun
-
Maybe instead of rats the cartoon should show sitting ducks.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Feb. 2025
-
To the Mach 4 missiles, capable of taking out jets maneuvering at high speed , a Shahed is a sitting duck.—
David Hambling,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Once more, Turkey seems to have become a whipping boy for all manner of interests, some of which have little to do with the realities of Turkey itself.—
Hugh Pope,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2010
-
The Republicans and their puppet master, Donald Trump, are ginning up the machine against immigration and making Mayorkas their whipping boy for chaos at the border.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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The sturdy build quality ensures durability against small knocks and bumps, which is important for something built with children as its target market.—
Tantse Walter,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Recently, however, green-card holders convicted of minor crimes many years ago who previously were not targets have been detained, and the Trump administration is seeking to deport them.—
Albert Sun,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Once identified, the kit dynamically loads a counterfeit login page tailored to that provider, often with the victim’s email address already filled in.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Preliminary investigation indicates there was an incident between people in the parking lot just before the victim was shot.—
Noelle Alviz-Gransee,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Along the outer hip, in the groin area, in the butt or thighs or even a painful sensation radiating down from the hips through either or both legs.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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Pickle pizza and pork butt platters are among the new concessions debuting at Target Field for Thursday's Twins home opener.—
Kyle Stokes,
Axios,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The artifacts, researchers say, could help shed light on the complex ways in which ancient humans hunted for their prey and fixed their broken belongings.—
Livia Albeck-Ripka,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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Now, with rising temperatures signaling the start of mating season and the return of prey, snakes are back on the move — and encounters with humans become far more likely.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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