scapegoats

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

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 scapegoats 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 Fourth, anger and the search for scapegoats. David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026 In such a situation, scapegoats are needed, and the alien is the ideal one. Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 And while the White House cycled through various scapegoats, prices rose a total of 20 percent, costing families more than $10,000. Jessica Riedl, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2026 Nations without trust in domestic institutions often turn outward in search of scapegoats. Klaus Schwab, Time, 5 Jan. 2026 This time, Nixon was one of several scapegoats for a dismal 22-16 Packers loss. Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegoats
Noun
  • The Israeli strikes killed five people around the town of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon, according to the official news agency NNA, and the army said a soldier was along the victims.
    Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 June 2026
  • As distressing as their circumstance is, Naim and Ryan are unmistakably positioned as heroic lovers, not victims-to-be.
    Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • On the South Korean side, coach Hong Myung-bo avoided making excuses and focused his analysis on the play that decided the match.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2026
  • The challenge becomes even more difficult because the usual excuses aren’t available.
    Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 June 2026
Noun
  • In the meantime, parents can easily entertain their children at the ranch’s petting zoo where chickens and goats approach anyone who walks by.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 19 June 2026
  • Both Bunnie Xo and Jelly Roll have run a massive Tennessee homestead and animal sanctuary, which has included Scottish Highland cows, full-sized and miniature horses, donkeys, pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens.
    Sharareh Drury, Entertainment Weekly, 19 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scapegoats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegoats. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on scapegoats

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster