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
A bit of political football: Trump’s ability to unilaterally scrap the team's deal for a new stadium appears doubtful after Congress passed a law in December that transferred ownership of the stadium site from the National Park Service to the District of Columbia.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 July 2025
This gross debt is used to determine when the government is near the national debt limit, a ceiling that has become a political football in recent years.
—Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 10 July 2025
The Epstein files have subsequently become a political football as Democrats seek to release them publicly.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
The public now expects to have access to intelligence findings, and this has helped turn intelligence into a political football.
—Joshua Rovner, The Conversation, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for political football
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Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 22 July 2025
This gross debt is used to determine when the government is near the national debt limit, a ceiling that has become a political football in recent years.
—Miriam Waldvogel, The Hill, 10 July 2025
The Epstein files have subsequently become a political football as Democrats seek to release them publicly.
—Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
The public now expects to have access to intelligence findings, and this has helped turn intelligence into a political football.
—Joshua Rovner, The Conversation, 2 July 2025
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 7 Aug. 2025.
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