political football
noun
: an issue that politicians argue about and try to use for their advantage
This issue is too important to be treated as a political football.
Examples of political football in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That may be surprising to some as the notion of alternative energy has been a political football for over a decade.
—
Jay Woods, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Doing something about low reading scores was a political football for years until, just recently, the state finally declared a preference for using phonics to teach reading — a rare bit of progress.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Whether flying to San Diego to spend time in the sun or to Omaha for a business meeting, American passengers should not be used as a political football.
—Jackson Shedelbower, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
Establishing a county-level OIGE would turn education into a political football — injecting exactly the kind of politics our schools do not need.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for political football
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Jay Woods, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2026
Doing something about low reading scores was a political football for years until, just recently, the state finally declared a preference for using phonics to teach reading — a rare bit of progress.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026
Whether flying to San Diego to spend time in the sun or to Omaha for a business meeting, American passengers should not be used as a political football.
—Jackson Shedelbower, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
Establishing a county-level OIGE would turn education into a political football — injecting exactly the kind of politics our schools do not need.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for political football
Cite this Entry
“Political football.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/political%20football. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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