whipping boys

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
Noun
  • The victims' identities were not released.
    NPR, NPR, 13 Oct. 2025
  • Monday’s sentencing marks the end of a years-long legal battle between Laffitte and his victims, after Laffitte was reportedly the first to face federal charges as investigators looked to take down the Murdaugh empire.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Brown and Bongiovi plan to raise their daughter on their Georgia farm, which is home to sheep, goats, cows, donkeys, cats and dogs.
    Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Well, for starters, cashmere comes from the downy undercoat of specific breeds of goats.
    Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The lead actors likewise find the balance between understanding these people and making excuses for them.
    Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
  • There were no excuses that could ease the pain.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Orbán has long sought to consolidate his power through concocting scapegoats for Hungary’s ills.
    Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2025
  • The hypocrisy of a society continually looking for scapegoats to assign blame while refusing to examine its own dark heart provides a semblance of subtext.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

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

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