Thesaurus results for WHIPPING BOYS

whipping boys

noun

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

Other federal agencies that were victims of computer intrusion by the platforms were the Energy Department, the Health and Human Services Department and the National Institutes of Health, according to the DOJ.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
The State Department issued a statement on Wednesday expressing condolences to the victims of the flooding and pledged financial support.

— Matteo Moschella, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of victims

Noun

Pedal over to the corral (kid-sized bikes are available) and say hello to the resident alpacas, goats, and bighorns.

— Allison Tibaldi, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Some herders moved 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) with their cattle in search of water and grazing land; others stayed closer to home with sheep and goats.

— Anne Pisor, The Conversation, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of goats

Noun

The software company PDFFly surveyed 2000 managers and senior managers and found that while 85% of managers suspect their employees are making fake excuses to grab extra time off in the summer, half of management are doing exactly that themselves.

— Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Save as a collection on MyRecipes Fall brings football tailgates, family dinners, and dozens more excuses to gather.

— Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of excuses

Noun

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, Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026

Definition of scapegoats

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

whipping boy

whipping boys

whippings

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of whipping boys

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

cogent

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes