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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of goats
Pet and cuddle sessions are about 35 minutes long and include time with the farm's goats and babies.
—
Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
Good Growth, which operates the Regenerative Cashmere Initiative in Mongolia, received a donation of $50,000 from Everlane toward its efforts to benefit more than 40 herder families, 8,000 goats and 113,000 acres of grassland.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026
Every winter there are bottled baby goats that are suddenly living in our kitchen.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2026
The peacefulness of the nature around them helps make the war feel distant — the clouds rolling across the green hills, the bleating of their neighbor's goats at sunset.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Village sounds of chickens and goats were pierced by the distant whine of commercial jets climbing out of Agadir’s international airport.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
This is similar to using grazing goats to reduce the amount of dry brush on hillsides and wild lands.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 9 Mar. 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.
—Martina Schimitschek, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The recovered animals include ducks, chickens and goats.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026
Good Growth, which operates the Regenerative Cashmere Initiative in Mongolia, received a donation of $50,000 from Everlane toward its efforts to benefit more than 40 herder families, 8,000 goats and 113,000 acres of grassland.
—Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 23 Mar. 2026
Every winter there are bottled baby goats that are suddenly living in our kitchen.
—Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 20 Mar. 2026
The peacefulness of the nature around them helps make the war feel distant — the clouds rolling across the green hills, the bleating of their neighbor's goats at sunset.
—ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Village sounds of chickens and goats were pierced by the distant whine of commercial jets climbing out of Agadir’s international airport.
—Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
This is similar to using grazing goats to reduce the amount of dry brush on hillsides and wild lands.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 9 Mar. 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.
—Martina Schimitschek, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2026
The recovered animals include ducks, chickens and goats.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goats
Noun
-
Both victims were under age 5 at the time of the crime, according to the statement.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Police also said that Marrero did not make payments to the IRS when he was supposed to, which raised his victims' alarms.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 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
-
The excuses really don’t matter.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
-
These things are presented not as potential excuses for the Current’s one-win/two-loss start, but as context around it.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The walls disappeared into a forest of trees, where live monkeys and at least one bear lurked behind the trunks.—
Serena Turner,
Vanity Fair,
30 Mar. 2026
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And so do some primates, such as bonobos and snub-nosed monkeys.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Goats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goats. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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