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
National security adviser Michael Waltz emerges as a potential fall guy in the Signal group chat fallout.
—
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
The Jacksonville Jaguars sacked Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson on Monday in the NFL’s dark annual ritual of finding fall guys after the regular season came to an end Sunday night.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025
Watching England as a non-white person can come with the fear that with many of the national team’s historic defeats comes a fall guy.
—Carl Anka, The Athletic, 8 July 2024
Post-failure, Lumi is the subject of a government inquest, and Pierpoint has to send a representative who will act as the bank’s face and potential fall guy.
—Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 27 Mar. 2025
The Jacksonville Jaguars sacked Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson on Monday in the NFL’s dark annual ritual of finding fall guys after the regular season came to an end Sunday night.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025
Watching England as a non-white person can come with the fear that with many of the national team’s historic defeats comes a fall guy.
—Carl Anka, The Athletic, 8 July 2024
Post-failure, Lumi is the subject of a government inquest, and Pierpoint has to send a representative who will act as the bank’s face and potential fall guy.
—Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
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Here's what to know about Rogers' execution, including who his victims were.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
16 May 2025
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The boy’s grandmother also found a handwritten note with what appeared to be the names of mass shooters and the number of victims from each shooting, the affidavit said.—
Dalia Faheid,
CNN Money,
15 May 2025
Noun
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Construct decision boundaries that eliminate excuses.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
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Hansi Flick has told his Barcelona players that partying after their La Liga title celebrations is no excuse for letting their performances drop.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Noun
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Once more, Turkey seems to have become a whipping boy for all manner of interests, some of which have little to do with the realities of Turkey itself.—
Hugh Pope,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2010
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The Republicans and their puppet master, Donald Trump, are ginning up the machine against immigration and making Mayorkas their whipping boy for chaos at the border.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Participants still run a pet center, but also work at a farmyard with cows, goats and other animals, a restaurant and bakery, a country store, a thrift shop, and Lambs Industries, which offers production services, such as assembling, sorting or packaging products.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2025
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Six deceased animals were also found on the property, including a dead baby goat found in a Tupperware bin in the kitchen.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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That mediocrity requires a scapegoat for public relations purposes. ...—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 May 2025
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But for Trump, nationwide injunctions seem to be a convenient scapegoat for undermining public confidence in the judiciary.—
Barbara McQuade,
Twin Cities,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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