fall guy

noun

: scapegoat
a fall guy for his boss's errors

Examples of fall guy in a Sentence

His lawyers will argue that he was set up as a fall guy for crimes he had no part in. the sandlot ball players wanted the littlest kid to be the fall guy for the broken window, figuring that he'd have the best chance of escaping punishment
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The New Zealand team Auckland City began the Club World Cup as the tournament’s fall guys, losing 10-0 against the German champions Bayern Munich, but by the end of the group stage, the semi-professional outfit earned respect by holding Boca Juniors to a draw. Adam Crafton, New York Times, 27 June 2025 Otherwise, what really changes, other than losing another fall guy? Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 May 2025 Waltz has been seen as a potential fall guy, but even before Trump’s public vote of confidence, there were questions about whether anyone would be punished, particularly because it might be seen as a capitulation to Democrats and the news media. Brett Samuels, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2025 The Jacksonville Jaguars sacked Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson on Monday in the NFL’s dark annual ritual of finding fall guys after the regular season came to an end Sunday night. David K. Li, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fall guy

Word History

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fall guy was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fall%20guy. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

fall guy

noun
: a person on whom something is blamed : scapegoat

More from Merriam-Webster on fall guy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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