lightning rod

noun

1
: a grounded metallic rod set up on a structure (such as a building) to protect it from lightning
2
: one that serves to divert attack from another
3
: one that is a frequent target of criticism or focus of controversy
she has become a convenient lightning rod for voters' discontent with law-and-order issuesAric Press et al.

Examples of lightning rod in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Biden's mental acuity while in office continues to be a lightning rod despite Trump taking office again in January. James Powel, USA Today, 22 May 2025 At the heart of it all, standing like a lightning rod between legacy and future-forward energy, was artist and 10-time Grammy nominee, Janelle Monáe. Isaiah Mikhail, Essence, 13 May 2025 The case has become an unlikely political lightning rod as Democrats seize on Abrego Garcia’s Kafkaesque situation as a cruel consequence of Trump’s mass deportations and disregard for the courts. Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2025 The question now, perhaps, isn’t whether Psaki or anyone else is the next Maddow, but whether the 9 P.M. Eastern hour on MSNBC still matters at all, as either a source of news or a lightning rod for liberal energy. Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for lightning rod

Word History

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lightning rod was in 1770

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Cite this Entry

“Lightning rod.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lightning%20rod. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

lightning rod

noun
: a metal rod set up on a building or a ship and connected with the earth or water below to decrease the chances of damage from lightning

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