Definition of goatnext
as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others an unhappy childhood was the goat he used to rationalize every failure and shortcoming

Synonyms & Similar Words

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go at

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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 goat
Noun
Aritzia’s fall lineup is stacked with delicious jacket options, including this boxy, cropped jacket made of a thick, soft goat suede. — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 29 Sep. 2026 Domestic animals including cats, dogs, cattle, goats and sheep continue to show a decline in positive cases. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026 At the east end of town, Pennyroyal Farm, a goat-and-sheep dairy and winery, offers farm tours that end with a cheese tasting. — Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2026 In a remote Somali pastoral village, two twelve-year-old boys, Waasuge and Warmooge, spend their days herding goats and playing. — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for goat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goat
Noun
  • South African police said Monday that another body of a woman was discovered in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, bringing the total number of female victims recently found in the area to 11.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The family of one of the victims in the shooting, Tiru Chabba, is already suing OpenAI in federal court.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Indiana fans have become an easy scapegoat, and the reaction on Bluesky showed how little information some people needed to blame them.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • These anti-Black attitudes allow politicians to scapegoat Haitians for problems within Dominican society.
    — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • There are larger forces at work, the stuff that hurts people who hurt people, and portraying that hurt (and its goal, escape) with understanding – not to say excuse-making – takes uncommon talent.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Treat it as an excuse to wear more outspoken pieces from here on out, whether this implies bright-and-striped sweaters or fuzzy, quirky boat shoes.
    — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Goat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goat. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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