as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others
the sandlot ball players wanted the littlest kid to be the fall guy for the broken window, figuring that he'd have the best chance of escaping punishment
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Recent Examples of fall guy
And when his former leading man, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), accidentally kills Colt’s replacement stunt man, Ryder and his unsavory producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) hatch a plan to make Colt the literal fall guy.
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Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
In The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the titular fall guy, which is an industry term for stunt man.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
The irony was that Mayorkas, who had witnessed the surge in unaccompanied minors in 2014, as Deputy Secretary, was perhaps the least convenient fall guy.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
This loss’s fall guy was defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who called an all-out blitz just before halftime as Kirk Cousins responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass for a 16-7 lead.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall guy 
Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
In The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the titular fall guy, which is an industry term for stunt man.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
The irony was that Mayorkas, who had witnessed the surge in unaccompanied minors in 2014, as Deputy Secretary, was perhaps the least convenient fall guy.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
This loss’s fall guy was defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who called an all-out blitz just before halftime as Kirk Cousins responded with a 60-yard touchdown pass for a 16-7 lead.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
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Almost a year ago, David Alaba became a victim of the same knock and still hasn't returned to the pitch while others including Vinicius Jr. and Kylian Mbappe have been out for weeks at a time towards the end of the year.Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims while visiting the French Mediterranean island of Corsica on Sunday.Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The bad quarterback play, Davante Adams’ defection and season-ending injuries to four key defensive players were valid excuses before O’Connell’s injury, and now maybe the results of the final four games don’t matter.Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
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Get your excuses exposed, your beliefs questioned, and your fears faced head-on.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Once more, Turkey seems to have become a whipping boy for all manner of interests, some of which have little to do with the realities of Turkey itself.Hugh Pope, Foreign Affairs, 21 Oct. 2010
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The Republicans and their puppet master, Donald Trump, are ginning up the machine against immigration and making Mayorkas their whipping boy for chaos at the border.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 18 Apr. 2024
Noun
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Of course, not every establishment enjoyed having a live goat parading about, which leads us to one of the most infamous events in Chicago sports history.Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 8 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, both a dog and a goat were the victims of Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, whom Trump had reportedly considered as his running mate.Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Video games have always been a scapegoat Even though Mangione was clearly, at one point in his life, a regular gamer, attempts to connect his gaming history with the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO are tenuous at best.Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
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Some white women – of whom about 53% voted for Trump, according to exit polls – seem equally dismayed that they are being described in certain circles as electoral weak links and scapegoats for the outcome of the election.Suzette Hackney, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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