lame duck
noun
1
: one that is weak or that falls behind in ability or achievement
especially, chiefly British
: an ailing company
2
: an elected official or group continuing to hold political office during the period between the election and the inauguration of a successor
3
: one whose position or term of office will soon end
Examples of lame duck in a Sentence
The President was a lame duck during the end of his second term.
Recent Examples on the Web
Illinois banned the sale and possession of more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities during lame duck session of the Illinois General Assembly in January 2023.
—
Greg Bishop | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024
The question going forward is whether lawmakers have the bandwidth and desire to reauthorize them during the lame duck.
—Victoria Knight, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024
Yet, as a lame duck with limited time left in office, Biden lacks the leverage required to bring hostilities to a close.
—Jeffrey A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
And one lame duck state senator in the state of Nebraska could determine who is the president.
—ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lame duck 
Greg Bishop | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 Oct. 2024
The question going forward is whether lawmakers have the bandwidth and desire to reauthorize them during the lame duck.
—Victoria Knight, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024
Yet, as a lame duck with limited time left in office, Biden lacks the leverage required to bring hostilities to a close.
—Jeffrey A. Friedman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2024
And one lame duck state senator in the state of Nebraska could determine who is the president.
—ABC News, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lame duck
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lame duck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lame duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lame%20duck. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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