sacrificial lamb
noun
: someone or something that is deliberately sacrificed to promote a cause or for the benefit of others
… has become the sacrificial lamb to deflect criticism about exaggerated charges used to make the case for war on Iraq.—
John Diamond
John DiamondYet some women complain that they are recruited as sacrificial lambs to fill out tickets against incumbents regarded as unbeatable.—Patricia A. Avery
Patricia A. AveryExamples of sacrificial lamb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Because this is about football, the sport that has destroyed rivalries, razed conferences and served up its departmental peers like sacrificial lambs.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Marner going from sacrificial lamb to playoff MVP would be worth the price of admission alone.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
By the decisive Game 6, Donte DiVincenzo was the sacrificial lamb, the best option but hardly an ideal one.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026
After all, wolves don’t just wait around for a sacrificial lamb to show up in the forest and their teeth are rarely bared in public.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacrificial lamb
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Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Marner going from sacrificial lamb to playoff MVP would be worth the price of admission alone.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 May 2026
By the decisive Game 6, Donte DiVincenzo was the sacrificial lamb, the best option but hardly an ideal one.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 15 May 2026
After all, wolves don’t just wait around for a sacrificial lamb to show up in the forest and their teeth are rarely bared in public.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sacrificial lamb
Cite this Entry
“Sacrificial lamb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrificial%20lamb. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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