scapegoat

noun

ˈskāp-ˌgōt How to pronounce scapegoat (audio)
Definition of scapegoatnext
as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others companies often use the economy as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for dropping sales

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 scapegoat These anti-Black attitudes allow politicians to scapegoat Haitians for problems within Dominican society. — Kendall Medford, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026 In the ’90s, politicians began blaming video games like Mortal Kombat and Doom for real-world violence, and shooter games have remained a recurring scapegoat ever since. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026 Bad guys vanquished… or at the very least, viable scapegoats neutralized. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2026 Refugee groups said military barracks aren’t the right place to house asylum seekers, but cautioned that migrants should not be made scapegoats. — ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scapegoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegoat
  1. victim
  2. excuse
  3. goat
Noun
  • The Baton Rouge Police Department identified the victims as 21-year-old Leah Fonte and 21-year-old Shane Hirstius, who were engaged.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) has begun notifying victims impacted by a recent data breach of driver’s license and motor vehicle data, but not everyone whose information was stolen will receive an alert.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of victim
Noun
  • This is a unit that features two-star receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, so there's no excuse for that.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • As someone who thinks NYE is a bit overrated, a wedding feels like the perfect excuse to dress up to the nines and celebrate.
    — Fred Sahai, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of excuse
Noun
  • It is most commonly reported in cattle, but there have also been cases in sheep, goats, horses and alpaca.
    — Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Other animals like horses, alpacas, sheep, and goats can be infected as well.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of goat

Browse Nearby Words

scaped
scapegoat
scapegoats
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Scapegoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegoat. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on scapegoat

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scapegoat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of emissary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All