Thesaurus results for SCAPEGOATS

scapegoats

noun

plural of scapegoat

as in victims

a person or thing taking the blame for others companies often use the economy as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for dropping sales

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of scapegoats Sending out the scapegoats in a van advertising unemployed coaches is next-level stuff. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026 Black folks have been used as scapegoats for the rising government budgets, and anti-Black stereotypes fueled voters to significantly reduce access to affordable healthcare and educational assistance. — Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026 Americans are burned-out, frustrated, and hunting for scapegoats. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026 In such a situation, scapegoats are needed, and the alien is the ideal one. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Fourth, anger and the search for scapegoats. — David Blumenthal, STAT, 24 Mar. 2026 And while the White House cycled through various scapegoats, prices rose a total of 20 percent, costing families more than $10,000. — Jessica Riedl, Washington Post, 13 Jan. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegoats

Noun

Mines Minister Rufin Benam Beltoungou expressed condolences to victims’ families and warned miners about the dangers of unsafe mining practices, according to a statement posted by the ministry.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026
Investigators said one of the victims was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, while the other four were treated at the scene for injuries that were also non-life-threatening.

— Richard Ramos, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of victims

Noun

Kiffin understands that excuses aren’t going to fly, even if some are valid about recruiting during a time when coaches were traveling back and forth from Oxford to Baton Rouge.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026
The Galliano incident had nothing to do with Israel or the kinds of excuses some people are using today for antisemitism.

— Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of excuses

Noun

Synopsis In a remote Somali pastoral village, 12-year-old boys, Waasuge and Warmooge, spend their days herding goats and playing games.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
Its forests include beech, pine, fir and Bosnian pine, while wild goats inhabit the mountain's rugged alpine areas.

— Brittany Anas, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of goats

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scapegoat

scapegoats

scapegrace

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“Scapegoats.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegoats. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of scapegoats

noun

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