sitting duck

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See synonyms for sitting duck on Thesaurus.com

noun

a helpless or easy target or victim: a sitting duck for shady financial schemes.

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Origin of sitting duck

First recorded in 1940–45

Words nearby sitting duck

sitter, sit through, sit tight, sitting, Sitting Bull, sitting duck, sitting on a powder keg, sitting pretty, sitting room, sitting target, sitting tenant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sitting duck in a sentence

At night though, their behavior practically turns them into sitting ducks.
How catching birds bare-handed may hint at Neandertals’ hunting tactics|Trishla Ostwal|October 8, 2021|Science News
And it might be what Islamists complain about while sitting in their caves.
Why We Stand With Charlie Hebdo—And You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And there are these three or four very mean Mexicans sitting next to us.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The user fee on duck stamps goes exclusively to funding federal acquisition of wetlands as wildlife habitat.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Elle magazine shot an editorial in September, one picture revealing a teacup pig sitting pretty by a mini Tyler Alexandra bag.
Handbags: The More You Pay, The Smaller They Shrink|Elizabeth Landers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Federal Duck Stamp Act raised the fee on stamps needed to hunt waterfowl on federal land from $15 to $25.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was no wonder that he felt quite at home in the duck-pond, which was made for web-footed folk.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
It is to be feared that the attractions of the house-dinner were not the sole inducement to many of those sitting there.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
He chiefly divided his time between the House of Lords and sitting at home, lamenting over his own ill-starred existence.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
In the centre of the room is an oval table; some dozen men are sitting at it; as many more stand behind their chairs.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Outside the hotel he came upon the two sisters sitting on a bench and drinking coffee.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke

Cultural definitions for sitting duck

sitting duck

A very easy target: “His arguments were so simple, she was able to knock them down like sitting ducks.” The term comes from hunting, where it is much easier to hit ducks when they are sitting on the water than when they are in flight.

Other Idioms and Phrases with sitting duck

sitting duck

An easy target, as in If you park in front of a fire hydrant, you're a sitting duck for a ticket. This term alludes to the ease with which a hunter can shoot a duck that remains in one spot, in contrast to one in flight. [First half of 1900s]

sitting duck

Origin of sitting duck

Words nearby sitting duck

Words related to sitting duck

How to use sitting duck in a sentence

Cultural definitions for sitting duck

Other Idioms and Phrases with sitting duck