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
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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But many of the workers also presented themselves as victims of racially motivated government policies.—
Boyce Upholt,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Crump is known for representing relatives of victims of high-profile police brutality cases.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As the spotlight settles on each of them, that person unspools a monologue, a candid account of their origins, their desires and dreams, their galaxy of excuses and explanations.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
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But resilience should not become an excuse to accept cycles of destruction.—
Sarah Al Asmar,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 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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The peacefulness of the nature around them helps make the war feel distant — the clouds rolling across the green hills, the bleating of their neighbor's goats at sunset.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Village sounds of chickens and goats were pierced by the distant whine of commercial jets climbing out of Agadir’s international airport.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The ultra-wealthy have become the all-purpose scapegoat of progressive politics.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
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Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys say he is being used as a scapegoat for the Los Angeles Fire Department’s failure to fully extinguish the earlier blaze.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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