as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
As a leader in the Communist Party USA and an associate of the Black Panther Party, Davis became a lightning rod for national controversy and state surveillance.
—
Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Rising out of Mount Druitt, the group first made headlines for their raw drill sound, but soon became lightning rods for controversy and police scrutiny.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2025
With his high profile, confrontational statements and postings on social media, Musk has become a lightning rod for people opposed to the policies of the Trump administration.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Ironically, natural flavors have become more of a lightning rod because natural flavor is an umbrella term that covers a massively diverse category of ingredients.
—Ali Bouzari, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lightning rod
Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Rising out of Mount Druitt, the group first made headlines for their raw drill sound, but soon became lightning rods for controversy and police scrutiny.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2025
With his high profile, confrontational statements and postings on social media, Musk has become a lightning rod for people opposed to the policies of the Trump administration.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
Ironically, natural flavors have become more of a lightning rod because natural flavor is an umbrella term that covers a massively diverse category of ingredients.
—Ali Bouzari, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 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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Many wonder whether Southern California will be the next target for a large-scale immigration action.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2025
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Dot Dot Dot, being the first target for Dogma’s acquisition ambition, aims to bring excitement to trend forecasting and consumer insights.—
Tianwei Zhang,
Footwear News,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The family is seeking separate payouts of at least $25,000 from all four companies for each of the three victims, according to the lawsuit, aiming for at least $300,000 in cumulative damages.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
22 Apr. 2025
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The numbers of victims far exceeded those of military regimes in Chile and Argentina.—
Stephania Taladrid,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Years later, the cigarette butt found in Selonia Reed's car was sent for DNA testing.—
Vladimir Duthiers, Paul LaRosa,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2025
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Honestly looking at the old models those butts were not good just…anatomically, even for the often unusual proportions of comic character.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The research team used advanced 3D imaging technology to find the ancient ant had many features similar to modern dirt ants, including distinctive mandibles with 12 triangular teeth for catching prey.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Their larvae live in small holes in the turf and wait for their prey to walk by.—
Kevin Gepford,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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