lame duck
Soon-replaced officeholder
A lame duck is an officeholder whose successor has already been chosen, leaving them with diminished authority for their remaining time in office: The president spent his lame duck period pushing through last-minute appointments.
The term extends to anyone or anything ineffective or powerless—a person who can't meet obligations, or a failing enterprise awaiting closure.
Lacking power to achieve
- weakenedMade less capable
- impotentLacking power or efficacy
- toothlessHaving no teeth
- diminishedMade or became smaller
hamstrung · sidelined · marginalized · curtailed · neutered · defanged · hobbled · constrained
Elected leader of nation
- incumbentCurrent position holder
- officeholderElected or appointed official
- governorState's chief executive
- legislatorElected maker of laws
administration · executive · term-limited · second term · congressional session
Rulership gap period
- handoverTransfer of control
- successionFollowing in order
- changeoverComplete shift between systems
- briefingConcise information session
inauguration · turnover · preparation · orientation · waiting period · interim · limbo · power vacuum
Leave-taking expression
- retirementLeaving the workforce permanently
- departureAct of going away
- exitWay to leave
- last daysConcluding time span
swansong · valediction · countdown · conclusion · windup
Object of pursuit
- exposedOut in open
- challengedDisputed or questioned
- susceptibleEasily influenced or harmed
- underminedWeakened by stealth
ineffective
Lacking power to achieve
diminished · hamstrung · sidelined · marginalized · curtailed · neutered · defanged · hobbled · constrained · stymied
president
Elected leader of nation
- incumbentCurrent position holder
- officeholderElected or appointed official
- governorState's chief executive
legislator · administration · executive · term-limited · second term · congressional session
interregnum
Rulership gap period
- handoverTransfer of control
- successionFollowing in order
- changeoverComplete shift between systems
briefing · inauguration · turnover · preparation · orientation · waiting period · interim · limbo · power vacuum
farewell
Leave-taking expression
- retirementLeaving the workforce permanently
- departureAct of going away
- exitWay to leave
last days · swansong · valediction · countdown · conclusion · windup
target
Object of pursuit
- exposedOut in open
- challengedDisputed or questioned
- susceptibleEasily influenced or harmed
undermined · circumvented · exploited · opportunism · end-run
- politicsdemocracy, campaigning, campaigns, democrats, bill
- Animal Idiomsblind as a bat, brave as a lion, busy bee, copycat, dark horse
- bird expressionsearly bird, birdbrain, bird brain, lovebirds, jailbird
- Former Rolesex-president, ex-wife, ex-husband, ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- presidencyOval Office, president, Washington, executive branch, veto
lame duckpresident-elect
Chosen but not inaugurated
incoming · power broker · fresh mandate · honeymoon period · rising star
lame duckpowerhouse
Source of great energy
force to be reckoned with · mover and shaker · heavy hitter · empowered · formidable
duck, lame, ducks, ducking, ducked, duckling, lameness, lamely, lamer