lame duck

[leym duhk] / ˈleɪm ˈdʌk /

NOUN

elected official waiting to leave office

Synonyms

WEAK

crumbling power holdover incumbent loser weak administration weakling

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.

He’s also a lame duck and getting lamer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Powell became a lame duck almost immediately after President Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2025.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 19, 2026

"I'm not sure he's a lame duck yet," Garret Martin, professor of international relations at American University, told AFP.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

Those bills passed the Senate in December, but they stalled in the House during a lame duck session that saw little progress on any issue.

From Salon • Sep. 15, 2025

It evidently behooved him to play "lame duck," just as the mother mallard does in order144 to deceive the wandering egg hunter, and lead him away from her nest.

From Canoe Mates in Canada Three Boys Afloat on the Saskatchewan by Rathborne, George, St.