as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall guy
The perfect fall guy Hayes’ lawsuit paints a damning picture of how UBS allegedly planned his downfall.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Which makes Ten Hag an invaluable fall guy.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The Bellows fall guy here is Darrin’s boss, Larry Tate, who suspects something but can never prove it.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Which makes Ten Hag an invaluable fall guy.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The Bellows fall guy here is Darrin’s boss, Larry Tate, who suspects something but can never prove it.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
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Police said evidence suggested Salat was aware of the victim’s age and attempted to meet with the child in person.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Jan. 2026
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But the jury in the federal civil lawsuit found that Moore violated Gillispie's rights by hiding evidence that would have helped Gillispie's defense and creating unfair lineup procedures for the victims.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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On what makes this team A team that shows up every day with the correct mentality, works really hard, doesn’t make excuses, owns up to mistakes and continues to get better.—
Michael Nowels,
Mercury News,
12 Jan. 2026
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Not ever using an excuse, but the ball moves differently in the wind.—
Tom Ignudo,
CBS News,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There will always be whipping boys at the World Cup, a team who arrive underprepared or in chaos of some description.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
13 Nov. 2025
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Gordie is invisible to his mother and a whipping boy to his father.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Visitors can attend shows for cattle, swine, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys and poultry.—
Brayden Garcia
January 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Jan. 2026
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For three years now, the farm has served their Nigerian Pygmy goats donated Christmas trees; free of ornaments, tinsel, and any other side dish, of course.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Nations without trust in domestic institutions often turn outward in search of scapegoats.—
Klaus Schwab,
Time,
5 Jan. 2026
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O’Connor, 51, contacted this news organization from the Elmwood women’s jail in Milpitas to object to how she has been portrayed, cast herself as a scapegoat for teenagers’ illicit behavior and accuse the court system of bias.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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