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.

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

It felt as if a boxer had used my bladder as a punching bag.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

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

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

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