punching bag

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.

Behind him, some of the young athletes faced each other in the ring surrounded by cheering gymmates, while others trained on a punching bag.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 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

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

I needed to remind myself that the mortal world was still out there, away from all the monsters using me as their personal punching bag.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan