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
A punching bag painted by Basquiat features his signature crown motif atop the words “Mary Boone™.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
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
We boasted a single punching bag and a few pairs of boxing gloves.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
