as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others companies often use the economy as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for dropping sales

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scapegoat France had been humiliated in 1871 by Prussia in a foolish war of its own making, and Dreyfus, accused of passing military secrets to the Germans, was a convenient scapegoat in a time of national malaise. Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025 Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills. Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025 In reality, Vought used an innocent Starlighter as a scapegoat to push their agenda and had Dogknott (Zach McGowan) kill him. Olivia Singh, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 That created the perfect conditions for divisiveness over vaccinations, Chin-Hong said, and the Covid shots became an easy scapegoat. Daniela Hernandez, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scapegoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegoat
Noun
  • The victims' identities were not released.
    NPR, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Monday’s sentencing marks the end of a years-long legal battle between Laffitte and his victims, after Laffitte was reportedly the first to face federal charges as investigators looked to take down the Murdaugh empire.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There is simply no excuse for it.
    Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Wear them on a casual hike or during your morning coffee run—you’ll find endless excuses to break them out of your suitcase this season.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Beyond the gardens is a small cafe and an area to visit farm animals like chickens and goats.
    Emilio Parra Doiztua, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
  • There’s a haunted corn maze, marigold fields, bounceland, Jurassic Fright, a tractor ride and sheep, goats and rabbits.
    Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Scapegoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegoat. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

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