whipping boy

as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others used the government's economic policies as the whipping boy for every bad decision the company made

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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 whipping boy The weaponization subcommittee’s foremost target will be the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which during Trump’s presidency became a whipping boy for the right, contradicting the GOP’s claim to champion law and order. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2023 As head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci has become a standard whipping boy for conservatives pushing back against anti-pandemic restrictions, but few politicians have placed him at the center of their outreach to their political base like DeSantis. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021 Still, having his excoriating assessments collected between hard covers makes for a powerful indictment, the more so because Boehner’s book vividly captures the growing horror of a bartender’s kid who evolved from a reflexive Democrat to a Reagan Republican to a tea party whipping boy. Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2021 Once more, Turkey seems to have become a whipping boy for all manner of interests, some of which have little to do with the realities of Turkey itself. Hugh Pope, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2010 See All Example Sentences for whipping boy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping boy
Noun
  • The victims said the thief stole close to $60,000 in cash and dozens of checks that were inside the box.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as Daniella Weisman from Glencoe, a spokesperson confirms to PEOPLE.
    Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The Bellows fall guy here is Darrin’s boss, Larry Tate, who suspects something but can never prove it.
    Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
  • Despite his discomfort, the former star yen derivatives trader for UBS and Citigroup has become globally recognized, some might say, as a fall guy for the Libor scandal, which involved myriad actors, including bankers, banks, and even world governments.
    Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 29 July 2025
Noun
  • The mountain lion had killed a goat the night before and came back to continue to feed on it, deputies said.
    Paloma Chavez, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Wallace is a goat-owning, hog-hunting, anime-loving, fast-talking personification of energy.
    Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Investors don’t need another earnings call filled with excuses about macro headwinds when the rest of the industry is growing.
    Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
  • To open flat is without excuse, given the setting.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • There's no doubt that Shurmur is now the scapegoat at CU following an atrocious outing for his unit.
    Andrew Hughes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Aug. 2025
  • In a statement on Twitter, Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Markus, alleged that she had only been convicted because the DOJ needed a scapegoat after Epstein died in jail before his case went to trial.
    Michael Ruiz , Julia Bonavita , David Spunt, FOXNews.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Whipping boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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