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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall guy
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 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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
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One of the victims, a 36-year-old man, suffered multiple gunshots to his body and was pronounced dead at the scene.—
William Lee,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Apr. 2026
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The three other victims were taken to the hospital by private vehicle and later released, according to authorities.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No more making excuses to look at your phone and ignore others.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
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The European Union is giving tech companies no more excuses to implement age checks for social media users.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Make an all-goat spread, exploring different styles and textures, with garnishes that evoke the pasture, says Jones.—
Anna Lee Iijima,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
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As part of the Great Exchange, which spanned from 1492 to 1640, Europeans brought over cows, sheep, and goats.—
Karla Walsh,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the good times ended when Nirvana’s label reps decided the album sounded too raw for mainstream consumption and allegedly positioned Albini as a scapegoat for a potentially bad-sounding record.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
20 Apr. 2026
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Hungarians lost trust in Orban and want a different approach on EU relations rather than the tired attacks on the populists’ favorite scapegoat.—
Lionel Laurent,
Twin Cities,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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