as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
Espresso becomes a lightning rod that awakens chocolate.
—
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Jan. 2026
The Dodgers are the convenient lightning rod for all of this, as back-to-back World Series champions with an ownership that seems to care as much about winning as its fan base does.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Already her death has become a lightning rod in an already tense and divided nation.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 7 Jan. 2026
The debate has become a lightning rod for national thought leaders looking to target California’s policies or the ultra-rich.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Jesse Szewczyk, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Jan. 2026
The Dodgers are the convenient lightning rod for all of this, as back-to-back World Series champions with an ownership that seems to care as much about winning as its fan base does.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 16 Jan. 2026
Already her death has become a lightning rod in an already tense and divided nation.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 7 Jan. 2026
The debate has become a lightning rod for national thought leaders looking to target California’s policies or the ultra-rich.
—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
Noun
-
In this case, that makes Dumars and his team sitting ducks for anyone else with designs on their score.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Shipping lanes suffered, neutrality became meaningless, and actual fishing vessels became sitting ducks.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
There will always be whipping boys at the World Cup, a team who arrive underprepared or in chaos of some description.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
13 Nov. 2025
-
Gordie is invisible to his mother and a whipping boy to his father.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The last four months of 2025 also saw a surge in incidents of direct fire at all targets from Israeli positions on both sides of the Blue Line, the report says.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Additionally, Mohan emphasized Western Digital’s revised long-term growth targets.—
TipRanks,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Family members of the shooting victims cried as the sentence was handed down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The victim was taken to Hartford Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to state police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
And in mainstream entertainment, aspects of Chinese culture or identity were often turned into the butt of the joke.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The maintenance is a pain in the butt.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the past, archaeologists had assumed humans made their way to the Arctic by following musk oxen and other onshore prey.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
9 Feb. 2026
-
For example, if subjected to high humidity, potato plants may fall prey to fungal diseases that will weaken them and slow growth.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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