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Recent Examples of whipping boy
As head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci has become a standard whipping boy for conservatives pushing back against anti-pandemic restrictions, but few politicians have placed him at the center of their outreach to their political base like DeSantis.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021
Still, having his excoriating assessments collected between hard covers makes for a powerful indictment, the more so because Boehner’s book vividly captures the growing horror of a bartender’s kid who evolved from a reflexive Democrat to a Reagan Republican to a tea party whipping boy.
—Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2021
The weaponization subcommittee’s foremost target will be the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which during Trump’s presidency became a whipping boy for the right, contradicting the GOP’s claim to champion law and order.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2023
Jamie, the lawyer, is the resident whipping boy, the black sheep whose ambitions surpass his mettle.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for whipping boy
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021
Still, having his excoriating assessments collected between hard covers makes for a powerful indictment, the more so because Boehner’s book vividly captures the growing horror of a bartender’s kid who evolved from a reflexive Democrat to a Reagan Republican to a tea party whipping boy.
—Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2021
The weaponization subcommittee’s foremost target will be the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which during Trump’s presidency became a whipping boy for the right, contradicting the GOP’s claim to champion law and order.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2023
Jamie, the lawyer, is the resident whipping boy, the black sheep whose ambitions surpass his mettle.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2023
See All Example Sentences for whipping boy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping boy
Noun
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That fight for victim's rights has shaped all their lives.—
Erin Moriarty, Liza Finley,
CBS News,
4 May 2025
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These good samaritans often crack cold cases and use dogs, drones and helicopters to rescue everyone from natural disaster victims to missing children.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
Noun
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Waltz has been seen as a potential fall guy, but even before Trump’s public vote of confidence, there were questions about whether anyone would be punished, particularly because it might be seen as a capitulation to Democrats and the news media.—
Brett Samuels,
The Hill,
25 Mar. 2025
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The Jacksonville Jaguars sacked Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson on Monday in the NFL’s dark annual ritual of finding fall guys after the regular season came to an end Sunday night.—
David K. Li,
NBC News,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This pageant of puppetry includes a flutter of butterflies, a goat with a plaintive bleat, a menagerie of wild animals and, at one point, a school of glowing fish.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2025
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This is a prime opportunity for parents to enjoy a morning ride while grandparents hang back with grandchildren to meet a baby goat, pet friendly pigs and, on select days, collect eggs from the henhouse.—
Margaux Lushing,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Noun
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If the Jets beat the Blues, those excuses transform: every piece of adversity turns into another reason Winnipeg’s success was all the more impressive.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
2 May 2025
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Get Together Just Because Birthday parties, holidays, and graduation parties might claim much of your summer calendar, but these days, the trend is to find new excuses to get together.—
Kristine Gill,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 May 2025
Noun
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Those fine margins Arteta speaks of turn some into heroes and others into scapegoats.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
10 May 2025
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During an April 14 meeting between Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele that was ostensibly about the two leaders’ controversial deportation and detention pact, Trump abruptly brought up his favorite political scapegoat: trans women in sports.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Whipping boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boy. Accessed 18 May. 2025.
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