Thesaurus results for WHIPPING BOYS

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

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping boys

Noun

The hearing in Barrow County court is expected to begin with victims’ families and survivors, many of whom spoke powerfully at Colt’s sentencing.

— Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Rawson has become a bestselling author and advocate for victims of violent crime since her father's 2005 arrest, writing and speaking publicly about growing up as the daughter of one of America's most notorious serial killers.

— Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 29 July 2026

Definition of victims

Noun

And then there's the local wildlife, like aggressive goats and eagles, along with hidden landmines, to keep every leg of the journey unpredictable.

— Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026
As noted by Variety, some scholars believe the island inspired the location where Homer imagined Odysseus and his crew stopping to roast goats and replenish their supplies.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 17 July 2026

Definition of goats

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

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 3 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of whipping boys

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

mitigate

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes