Thesaurus results for WHIPPING BOY

whipping boy

noun

Definition of 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

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 whipping boy There will always be whipping boys at the World Cup, a team who arrive underprepared or in chaos of some description. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2025 Gordie is invisible to his mother and a whipping boy to his father. — Sezin Devi Koehler September 1, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025 Yet Hojlund only has to look at Scott McTominay and how Conte revitalised his career in Naples after years of being a United whipping boy by some sections of the fan base. — Emmet Gates, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025 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

Homecoming aside, there’s still the Trawler to worry about, a fact we’re reminded of when another victim turns up on a playground, this time with a pentagram carved into his back and fish corpses shoved into his wounds.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2026
After Bateman’s September 2022 arrest, his child victims were placed in protective custody.

— Christina Coulter, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of victim

Noun

So Republicans are desperate for something, anything, anyone — a fall guy, a scapegoat — to rant against, whip up the Republican base against, and raise money for their fall campaigns.

— Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
Gámez asserted that he’s being set up as a fall guy for political reasons.

— Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 10 July 2026

Definition of fall guy

Noun

These were people who would insist that their American passenger ride in the cab of a trade truck rather than stand in the open back with 20 passengers banging into each other and a couple of goats for hours.

— Ethan Gologor, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2026
Synopsis In a remote Somali pastoral village, 12-year-old boys, Waasuge and Warmooge, spend their days herding goats and playing games.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of goat

Noun

In fact, hot summer days, casual weekends, and low-key outings are the perfect excuse to let the girls breathe.

— Julia Guerra, InStyle, 22 Aug. 2026
Save as a collection on MyRecipes Fall brings football tailgates, family dinners, and dozens more excuses to gather.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of excuse

Noun

Meanwhile, as Whelan tries to control the situation, he is threatened by blackmail about an affair and later plots to make Slough House a scapegoat for MI5’s failures.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Aug. 2026
So Republicans are desperate for something, anything, anyone — a fall guy, a scapegoat — to rant against, whip up the Republican base against, and raise money for their fall campaigns.

— Robert B. Reich, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of scapegoat

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whipping boy

whipping boys

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“Whipping boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boy. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of whipping boy

noun

Example Sentences

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