Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

lightning rod

 noun
     
lightning rod [countable] American English
1 a lightning conductor
2 someone or something who gets most of the criticism, blame, or public attention when there is a problem, although they may not be responsible for it
be a lightning rod for something
The senator has become a lightning rod for criticism.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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