scapegoats

noun

plural of scapegoat
as in victims
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

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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 scapegoats Some veterans say recruiters deceived them and Haitian authorities tortured them; their families call them scapegoats. — Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026 This tradition viewed progressive nationalism as using promises of reform and demagogic tirades against scapegoats abroad to distract from their own corruption and irresponsibility. — Andre Pagliarini, The Conversation, 22 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 Sending out the scapegoats in a van advertising unemployed coaches is next-level stuff. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 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, 30 Mar. 2026 Americans are burned-out, frustrated, and hunting for scapegoats. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 In such a situation, scapegoats are needed, and the alien is the ideal one. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegoats
  1. victims
  2. excuses
  3. goats
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 victims
Noun
  • None of this excuses Chris’ malicious behavior, not just toward Carrie but toward her future stepsister, Brooklyn (Rowan Danielle), and the school as a whole, mostly via a fake Instagram account devoted to smearing students and faculty alike.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • They are held to a standard that doesn't include entitlement, excuses, or any agenda other than TEAM.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of excuses
Noun
  • The Livestock Birthing Barn celebrated more than 90 animal births of piglets, goats, calves, lambs and chicks.
    — Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The city has already deployed goats to chomp away at invasive brush along the hillsides, but Cosgrove, who wrote Measure M, said more work is necessary to protect the community.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of goats

Browse Nearby Words

scapegoat
scapegoats
scapegrace
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Cite this Entry

“Scapegoats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegoats. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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