whipping boys

Definition of whipping boysnext
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
  • Court documents in the federal prosecution of the employee, Jacob Melvin Hart, indicate there could be more juvenile victims from Crossline Community Church.
    Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 24 Jan. 2026
  • All three victims were shot and killed outside the Sky Market on 85th Avenue and International Boulevard, allegedly after the brothers attempted to purchase marijuana from another person who was at the store, authorities said.
    Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • As cattle, lambs, hogs and goats weave through the show ring at The National Western Stock Show, longtime auctioneer John Korrey calls rapid-fire bids, his voice driving thousands of dollars in sales while keeping the crowd on edge.
    Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Nothing is a given in this league, especially for coordinators, who are the often the easiest scape goats.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 13 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • The excuses have more to do with political expediency and gas lobbying than reality.
    Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
  • There can be no excuses because the general team performance against mid-table Fulham had plenty in common with those that had gone before it.
    James Pearce, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Nations without trust in domestic institutions often turn outward in search of scapegoats.
    Klaus Schwab, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
  • This time, Nixon was one of several scapegoats for a dismal 22-16 Packers loss.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 21 Dec. 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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!