whipping boys

noun

plural of whipping boy
as in victims
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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping boys
  1. victims
  2. goats
  3. excuses
  4. scapegoats
Noun
  • Numerous victims have said that their names and other sensitive information were not properly redacted in the files and criticized Blanche and the department for failing to investigate Epstein’s potential co-conspirators.
    — Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
  • And the trailer shows how idyllic the four victims’ college experience was until Bryan Kohberger (who has pled guilty to the murders) seemingly picked them at random to act out his serial-killer obsession.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 15 July 2026
Definition of victims
Noun
  • Adults must crawl through doorways, buildings look like dollhouses and dwarf goats and donkeys hunker in the animal section.
    — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 13 July 2026
  • In photos from his visit to the festival in Warwickshire, England, Harry could be seen doing a variety of poses on his yoga mat while surrounded by curious goats and children wearing matching shirts.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 12 July 2026
Definition of goats
Noun
  • With a roster full of players from major European teams and 13 who were World Cup veterans, a lack of quality and experience no longer were valid excuses.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026
  • Any violence is to be condemned, no excuses, no explanations, OK?
    — CBS News, CBS News, 12 July 2026
Definition of excuses
Noun
  • 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, Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of scapegoats
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.

Browse Nearby Words

whipping boy
whipping boys
whippings
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Cite this Entry

“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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