punching bag
Americannoun
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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.
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 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
It felt as if a boxer had used my bladder as a punching bag.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 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
Since merging his cable programming behemoth Discovery with storied entertainment company Warner Bros. in 2022, Zaslav has often been a punching bag for Hollywood.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 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.
