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

2 of 2

phrase

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
The students and club members raise cows, goats, lambs, hogs, turkeys and more, spending hours feeding and training them daily and preparing them for showing. Heather McRea, Oc Register, 25 July 2026 There were chickens, cows and goats to tend to, fences to mend, hay to haul. Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 25 July 2026
Phrase
There was buzz for some time that Jason Reitman was making a go at the Bruin after purchasing The Village, which is set to undergo further restorations. Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 29 July 2026 This is not our first foray into this issue but, this time, let’s go at it not by getting into the weeds but by stating some principles. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for goat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goat
Noun
  • And the Santa Ana winds are blowing in September 1981, mentioned in a news report before an announcement of the latest Trawler victim in the season premiere.
    Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The police investigation was launched following complaints from relatives of the victims of the Gwangju crackdown, which official records say left about 200 people dead.
    ABC News, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Phrase
  • Mulholland is heading to a market whose sustainability has at times seemed in question.
    Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Miners working in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia who've had at least 25 years underground have the worst rate of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or black lung disease.
    Howard Berkes, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The article goes on to report that a large body of research and analysis confirms that AI is frequently used as a convenient public scapegoat to justify corporate restructuring, to hide overhiring from previous years, and to appease Wall Street.
    Peter D. Banko, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Beckham became a national scapegoat after that match and was vilified by the British fans and media.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Noun
  • That way, no one has to make an excuse for Malik Nabers going to a Travis Scott concert while in the concussion protocol.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • At a systems level, autonomy must also be protected through laws, policies, and enforcement so that disability never becomes an excuse to sideline the voices of those most affected.
    Christopher Campos, STAT, 3 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Goat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goat. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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