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
  • Andrew did not admit liability but agreed to pay Giuffre an undisclosed sum and to make a donation to a charity supporting abuse victims.
    Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025
  • And at its climax, the Grabber, the franchise killer played by Ethan Hawke, gracefully stalks his victims on ice skates, ready to lop some heads with an axe.
    Jack Dunn, Variety, 20 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Dairy — particularly from sheep, goats or certain dairy cows — can also be beneficial.
    Ashlyn Messier, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025
  • The elephants, goats, and rhinos like sumac, while most other animals don't prefer it.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Californians deserve answers, not more excuses.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
  • The excuses that may have limited previous staffs don’t explain Napier’s 22-23 tenure and the worst winning percentage by a full-time Florida coach in 65 years.
    Matt Baker, New York Times, 19 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
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“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.

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