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
As part of the Great Exchange, which spanned from 1492 to 1640, Europeans brought over cows, sheep, and goats.
—
Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026
The Eagle city code covering animal husbandry does not regulate the number or type of livestock on properties so long as the animals are not being kept for profit, such as by keeping goats for selling cheese.
—Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026
Ingestion by cows, goats, and horses can cause burning of the mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting, hypersalivation, and bloody diarrhea.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Tour properties include dramatic subtropical and desert landscaping, a front yard devoted entirely to succulents, kinetic metal and mosaic art, resident goats and a stop with 17 fruit trees alongside proteas and exotic succulents.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
The safari park, known for its adorable one-on-one encounters, also has a petting zoo full of goats, otters, sheep, cows and lemurs.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
In retirement, he’s gone back to that childhood, mucking the stalls and helping care for a menagerie that includes two horses, 10 mini goats, two mini pigs, a pair of horses and a bunch of chickens and dogs and cats.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Grab a coffee and visit ponies, donkeys, sheep, pigs, geese, goats, and chickens, or head to the garden to wander around the apple, pear, and plum trees in the orchard.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
On a Monday last spring, Guelleh stood watching a procession of goats, donkeys and camels quenching their thirst at the water tank that once supplied his field.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 18 Apr. 2026
The Eagle city code covering animal husbandry does not regulate the number or type of livestock on properties so long as the animals are not being kept for profit, such as by keeping goats for selling cheese.
—Idaho Statesman, 16 Apr. 2026
Ingestion by cows, goats, and horses can cause burning of the mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting, hypersalivation, and bloody diarrhea.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 16 Apr. 2026
Tour properties include dramatic subtropical and desert landscaping, a front yard devoted entirely to succulents, kinetic metal and mosaic art, resident goats and a stop with 17 fruit trees alongside proteas and exotic succulents.
—Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026
The safari park, known for its adorable one-on-one encounters, also has a petting zoo full of goats, otters, sheep, cows and lemurs.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
In retirement, he’s gone back to that childhood, mucking the stalls and helping care for a menagerie that includes two horses, 10 mini goats, two mini pigs, a pair of horses and a bunch of chickens and dogs and cats.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026
Grab a coffee and visit ponies, donkeys, sheep, pigs, geese, goats, and chickens, or head to the garden to wander around the apple, pear, and plum trees in the orchard.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Apr. 2026
On a Monday last spring, Guelleh stood watching a procession of goats, donkeys and camels quenching their thirst at the water tank that once supplied his field.
—Julie Bourdin, NPR, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goats
Noun
-
Nataliia had gone to the bus station, where soldiers were spraying foam to contain the nuclear fallout, and to the hospital, where men in white coats were unloading victims on stretchers from the backs of ambulances.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Turkey denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Black folks have been used as scapegoats for the rising government budgets, and anti-Black stereotypes fueled voters to significantly reduce access to affordable healthcare and educational assistance.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Americans are burned-out, frustrated, and hunting for scapegoats.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the Padres sale demonstrates that despite the excuses and gaslighting, the fastest way MLB owners could increase their franchise values is by spending money on players.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
-
No more making excuses to look at your phone and ignore others.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In fact, the German naturalist and polymath has been described as the person with more species – from penguins and monkeys to an orchid – and places named after him than any other human.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2026
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These days, Punch seldom relies on the plushie and instead can be found socializing with other monkeys, according to Yasunaga.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goats. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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