punching bag
Americannoun
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punching bags
plural
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an inflated or stuffed bag, usually suspended, punched with the fists as an exercise.
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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.
Only one of them, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, a surf bro so gullible that I’m not sure he’s capable of informed legal consent, fits into “Best and Last” like a well-worn punching bag.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
Behind him, some of the young athletes faced each other in the ring surrounded by cheering gymmates, while others trained on a punching bag.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 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
The fight percolated predictably from there, rising in intensity, until Jessica Tarlov—the liberal punching bag on Fox’s The Five—broke things up.
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025
That if Cap went to jail, I would be back in business as the number-one punching bag at C Average Middle School.
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
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.
