How to Use lightning rod in a Sentence

lightning rod

noun
Definition of lightning rodnext
Synonyms for lightning rodnext
  • Since then, the coach has been a lightning rod for criticism from opponents of the monarchy.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2021
  • Over the past two years, Berry has become a lightning rod for those who criticize athletes who protest.
    — Christine Brennan, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2021
  • At that point, a lightning rod had emerged for the contrary currents of feminism: pornography.
    — Amia Srinivasan, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2021
  • Rogan, a stand-up comedian, is a lightning rod with a huge following.
    — Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2021
  • Emmert himself has become a lightning rod for criticism in recent years.
    — Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 21 July 2021
  • As with most things touched by the Trumps, the Rose Garden has become a political lightning rod.
    — Kate Bennett, CNN, 14 Aug. 2021
  • The fact that ivermectin has become a lightning rod embedded in a Covid-19 culture war should surprise no-one.
    — Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 29 Aug. 2021
  • As the economy regains its footing, unemployment aid has become a lightning rod among some lawmakers and business owners.
    — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 29 July 2021
  • Designed to act like a lightning rod, the structure proved ineffective when, less than a year after its installation, a bolt of lightning hit the tip of the monument and damaged some of its marble.
    — Nora McGreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Aug. 2021
  • Vaccine mandates have been a lightning rod in the gubernatorial recall election, scheduled for Sept. 14.
    — Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2021
  • Petty disputes also got in the way of the lightning rod.
    — IEEE Spectrum, 1 Apr. 2023
  • The laser beam passes near the lightning rod on the Säntis Tower.
    — John Timmer, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2023
  • The death last month has been a lightning rod on issues of mental health, crime and race.
    — Doha Madani, NBC News, 15 June 2023
  • The lighthouse has a lightning rod and was undamaged by the strike.
    — Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2023
  • All the ups and downs set the stage for Harrison, who has been a lightning rod all season.
    — oregonlive, 9 Oct. 2022
  • But the court didn’t rule on the merits of the case, meaning the lightning rod issue is not settled for good.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 13 June 2024
  • The result will be either a badge of honor or a lightning rod.
    — New York Times, 21 Sep. 2021
  • But can a $2 million laser compete with a dirt-cheap lightning rod?
    — Byadrian Cho, science.org, 16 Jan. 2023
  • Like a giant lightning rod, the tower gets hit with lightning more than 100 times a year.
    — Byadrian Cho, science.org, 16 Jan. 2023
  • Youssef’s words struck a chord, as the Israel-Hamas War is a lightning rod in Hollywood.
    — Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024
  • Part of the interest in this work is the tension between those shingles and the amber-glass orb on the lightning rod.
    — Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2022
  • The movie had been in theaters for all of 24 hours — plenty of time to become a cultural lightning rod.
    — Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 28 July 2023
  • Phillips has been a lightning rod for frustrated Bears fans.
    — Andrew Seligman, ajc, 2 Sep. 2022
  • The tax provisions of the new law have been a lightning rod for conservatives.
    — Jacob Bogage, Anchorage Daily News, 16 Feb. 2023
  • Rollins, 50, has emerged as a lightning rod in the national debate over crime and policing.
    — Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2021
  • The Tower of the Americas pierces the San Antonio sky like a lightning rod.
    — Timothy Fanning, San Antonio Express-News, 29 Dec. 2022
  • There are standards that have to be followed by those installing lightning rods.
    — Nicholas Bakalar, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2023
  • Gilbert’s latest book comes as books have become a political lightning rod in the U.S. and around the world.
    — Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 June 2023
  • But Republicans blasted the agreement as a sweetheart deal and Hunter Biden became a lightning rod for criticism of his father.
    — Xerxes Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 June 2024
  • Those two very different events show just how divided Memphis was in the 1960s and how the blues, developed and notated down on Beale Street, would continue to be a lightning rod, as would the festival itself.
    — Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 9 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lightning rod.' 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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