punching bag

American  

noun

• punching bags
  plural

1. an inflated or stuffed bag, usually suspended, punched with the fists as an exercise.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• punching bags
  plural

Etymology

Origin of punching bag

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

punching bag

"We have grown tired of seeing our country used as a punching bag," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

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 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

There was a dented punching bag with sand spilling from its ripped side.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles