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
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
  • The victim reported that four teenagers stole their necklace and fled the scene, according to police.
    — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The drama turns on a young woman, victim of spike drinking at a lavish New Year’s Eve party in a remote manor.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 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
  • But that cannot be used as an excuse because the Dolphins scored just 13 points in each of the games that Achane finished.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Livia’s unease informs her skepticism of politics; in linking the two, Kingsolver conflates class and culture, using the former as an excuse for what really just seems to be Livia’s constitutional conservatism.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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