Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of whipping boy
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
When Trump loses, Fox will be a whipping boy.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Nov. 2020
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
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
When Trump loses, Fox will be a whipping boy.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Nov. 2020
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
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Prosecutors previously said the victims — Cesar Armando Murillo, 44, and Maira Sofia Hernandez, 33, both residents of Yakima — disappeared just days after federal agents interviewed them in relation to a drug-trafficking investigation.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Sep. 2025
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Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields platforms from liability for what users post, leaving victims and their families with limited legal footing against them.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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The only movement is that of goats who nibble the long grass that grows around the Cold War aircraft wrecks that litter this forlorn spot on Grenada’s east coast.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
19 Sep. 2025
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To the untrained eye, researchers said the skull resembles the bones of a goat or horse, leading to the team naming the genus after animal sacrifices.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mental health challenges may provide an explanation, but there is no excuse, no justification.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
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There are people that want to play politics [who] will use that as an excuse to play politics.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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France had been humiliated in 1871 by Prussia in a foolish war of its own making, and Dreyfus, accused of passing military secrets to the Germans, was a convenient scapegoat in a time of national malaise.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN Money,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whipping boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boy. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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