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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Spohr died after being shot once in the head during the burglary at the couple’s Homewood residence on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, the victims’ family has said.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Feb. 2026
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If pulled out within 15 minutes, the Utah Avalanche Center says, 93% of avalanche victims live.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Well, at least that is my excuse for languishing in third place in our predictions challenge behind a six-year-old and the subscribers.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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The younger guys, who may make excuses or shy away when a coach challenges them, will respect what players like Goldstein or senior catcher Gianni Corral have to say.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Feb. 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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One of the vehicles in the crash was a pickup pulling a trailer carrying more than 30 goats.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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One of the vehicles was a pickup hauling a gooseneck trailer containing 32 goats, Colorado State Patrol said.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But in a year in which more teams are likely to make March Basketball worse than ever, the Jazz feel like a convenient scapegoat.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
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Baldoni said Lively and Reynolds used him as a scapegoat for the negative publicity.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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