fall guy

Definition of fall guynext
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

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 fall guy In real life, Miller takes the ribbing well, happy to be his friend’s fall guy for the purposes of narrative structure. Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026 At Oregon State, Blaylock served as the university’s primary point of contact for the Blueprint partnership and, ultimately, became its fall guy, resigning from his post in late October. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 15 Dec. 2025 In San Diego, he was doomed by an ownership change, becoming a convenient fall guy for delusional former Miami Dolphins executive Mike Dee. Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 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 See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
  • The most meaningful one for her was an ornament workshop attended by several victims of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires.
    Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • The Broward County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) identified the victim as 18-month-old Wilson Mathias Jr.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Noun
  • The excuses that keep piling up The backyard isn’t my first condition.
    Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 July 2026
  • While a full overhaul of the entire system might not be practical, there is certainly no excuse for lawmakers to make things worse.
    Adam Hoffer, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Noun
  • The former Maple Leaf was a whipping boy in Toronto whenever the Leafs couldn't get past the second round of the playoffs, but his first postseason in Vegas has been downright magical.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
  • The middle class or big corporations don’t want to become the mayor’s whipping boy.
    Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 20 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Officials said a mix of exotic animals, livestock and domestic pets were living on the property, including dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, geese, donkeys, goats and pigs.
    Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • Guns, liquor, darkness and a 300-pound goat-man supposedly in pain.
    Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
Noun
  • Just like the Mets, the case could be made that Boston’s president of baseball operations, Craig Breslow, deserved the blame, but the skipper became the scapegoat instead.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026
  • In a legal filing, Crowley said Mayor Karen Bass, who was out of the country when the fires began, made the longtime firefighter a scapegoat for the catastrophe.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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