as in sitting duck
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Recent Examples of lightning rod
Age was one of the lightning rods of the 2024 presidential election, as voters repeatedly expressed concerns about President Biden's fitness for office before a disastrous debate performance helped force him out of the race.
—
Ivana Saric, Axios, 27 Dec. 2024
Her comments arrive as Beyoncé's performances increasingly serve as both cultural milestones and lightning rods for debate.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
The State Department's Global Engagement Center, the highly touted nerve center for coordinating U.S. efforts to counter foreign disinformation – especially by Russia and China – shut down this week after becoming a lightning rod for conservative criticism.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
Azealia Banks, lightning rod and occasional oracle, is voting for Kamala Harris despite not liking her and previously supporting Trump.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightning rod 
Ivana Saric, Axios, 27 Dec. 2024
Her comments arrive as Beyoncé's performances increasingly serve as both cultural milestones and lightning rods for debate.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
The State Department's Global Engagement Center, the highly touted nerve center for coordinating U.S. efforts to counter foreign disinformation – especially by Russia and China – shut down this week after becoming a lightning rod for conservative criticism.
—Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 26 Dec. 2024
Azealia Banks, lightning rod and occasional oracle, is voting for Kamala Harris despite not liking her and previously supporting Trump.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lightning rod
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lightning rod
Noun
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The alternative: Residents risk being sitting ducks for future blazes. Consider Pacific Palisades.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC News,
22 Jan. 2025
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Which had those seals, as Oats put it, out there in the open like sitting ducks.—
CJ Moore,
The Athletic,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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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The firm downgraded Apple to perform from outperform and removed its $250 price target on the stock, citing a weaker outlook for iPhone sales in the next 12 to 18 months, lack of AI innovation and challenges in the Chinese market.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2025
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Starbucks is also cutting its menu by 30%, increasing staffing at some stores, and adjusting workflows to hit the company’s new target of brewing coffee in under four minutes.—
Francisco Velasquez,
Quartz,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Neither the driver nor the victims have been publicly identified by authorities.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2025
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One of my personal concerns is the tendency, particularly in Germany, to focus too much in films on the perpetrators, not the victims, like in Downfall or the recent Wannsee Conference adaptation.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But here’s the kicker: This kind of commentary doesn’t light a productive fire under your butt either.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
31 Jan. 2025
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Of course, naked looks have been all the rage lately, and Julia has never been one to play it modest—but at the same time, going fully nude is still way more shocking than just flashing your nipples or baring your butt.—
Kleigh Balugo,
StyleCaster,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Pets often resemble crocodiles’ natural prey which can be deadly.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA TODAY,
4 Feb. 2025
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Even so, its mere existence has drawn willing prey into Anderson’s front room.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
31 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near lightning rod
Cite this Entry
“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lightning%20rod. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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