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
  • But Suharto himself never answered to his victims.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Due to the severity of the burns, DNA testing has been required to fully identify many of the bodies, but more information will be released after the families of the victims have been notified.
    Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Growth of the American Royal By 1903, the American Royal included not only Hereford, Shorthorn, Galloway and Angus cattle, but also hogs, sheep, goats and horses.
    Patrick Salland, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The man from the city provided goats, yam, fish, palm oil, orogbo, sugar and honey.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • The prosecutor’s spokesperson said Yeo was making excuses that did not make sense about the notes discovered on his mobile phone.
    Reuters 2 hr ago, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Yes, potential excuses exist, such as the Tigers’ switch to Daniels, a senior Stanford transfer whose tremendous performance (353 yards passing and two touchdowns, 89 yards rushing and two touchdowns) demands the question of why Freeze didn’t turn the offense over to him weeks ago.
    Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 9 Nov. 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
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“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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