punching bag
Americannoun
-
an inflated or stuffed bag, usually suspended, punched with the fists as an exercise.
-
Informal. a person serving as an object of abuse; scapegoat.
I told him that I wasn't going to be a punching bag for anyone.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of punching bag
First recorded in 1895–1900
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The most surprising outcome involved Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who became a punching bag, along with Bass, for people who thought L.A. had transformed into a hellhole.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
The punching bag for senators opposed to prediction markets was former U.S. representative Patrick McHenry, a senior advisor to a prediction market lobbying organization funded by firms like Kalshi.
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
“The attack is a reminder that Powell will remain a punching bag for the president as long as he is on the Fed board,” said Ethan Harris, a former top economist at Bank of America.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 16, 2026
Robinhood’s backers say the firm has been unfairly targeted by its critics, becoming a kind of industry punching bag held responsible for individuals’ investment decisions and broader shifts in the market.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025
The wind pummeled the balloon as if it were an inverted punching bag, then tore it to pieces and cast shreds of its nine thousand yards of silk as far as half a mile away.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
