as in victims
a person or thing taking the blame for others
an unhappy childhood was the goat he used to rationalize every failure and shortcoming
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Recent Examples of goats
Growth of the American Royal By 1903, the American Royal included not only Hereford, Shorthorn, Galloway and Angus cattle, but also hogs, sheep, goats and horses.
—
Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
The man from the city provided goats, yam, fish, palm oil, orogbo, sugar and honey.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Horses graze in the upper pastures, while the lower fields have housed sheep, goats, and cattle.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2025
The 63-year-old planned to buy as many as 5 goats — that's what $205 would cover — and start a small livestock business.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 2 Nov. 2025
Beck also keeps three goats and a few colonies of honeybees.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Also, goats love poison ivy and can eat it without problem.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
Mammals such as horses, cows, goats and sheep evolved hooves, structures that protect the toes, support an animal’s weight, offer traction and absorb shock from the impact of walking and running.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
The menagerie began with a neighbor’s three dozen goats; he’d been drafted and needed someone to care for them.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
The man from the city provided goats, yam, fish, palm oil, orogbo, sugar and honey.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Horses graze in the upper pastures, while the lower fields have housed sheep, goats, and cattle.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Nov. 2025
The 63-year-old planned to buy as many as 5 goats — that's what $205 would cover — and start a small livestock business.
—Fatma Tanis, NPR, 2 Nov. 2025
Beck also keeps three goats and a few colonies of honeybees.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Also, goats love poison ivy and can eat it without problem.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025
Mammals such as horses, cows, goats and sheep evolved hooves, structures that protect the toes, support an animal’s weight, offer traction and absorb shock from the impact of walking and running.
—Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2025
The menagerie began with a neighbor’s three dozen goats; he’d been drafted and needed someone to care for them.
—Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goats
Noun
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But Suharto himself never answered to his victims.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
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Due to the severity of the burns, DNA testing has been required to fully identify many of the bodies, but more information will be released after the families of the victims have been notified.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
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The hypocrisy of a society continually looking for scapegoats to assign blame while refusing to examine its own dark heart provides a semblance of subtext.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The prosecutor’s spokesperson said Yeo was making excuses that did not make sense about the notes discovered on his mobile phone.—
Reuters 2 hr ago,
CNN Money,
10 Nov. 2025
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Yes, potential excuses exist, such as the Tigers’ switch to Daniels, a senior Stanford transfer whose tremendous performance (353 yards passing and two touchdowns, 89 yards rushing and two touchdowns) demands the question of why Freeze didn’t turn the offense over to him weeks ago.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Five of the eight monkeys were recovered at the scene of the crash.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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The Argentinian side offered unique views from the top of the falls with far less being drenched by mist and far more spotting wildlife, like capuchin monkeys.—
Taylor McIntyre,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Goats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goats. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
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