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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fall guy
The perfect fall guy Hayes’ lawsuit paints a damning picture of how UBS allegedly planned his downfall.
—
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Which makes Ten Hag an invaluable fall guy.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The Bellows fall guy here is Darrin’s boss, Larry Tate, who suspects something but can never prove it.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Which makes Ten Hag an invaluable fall guy.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The Bellows fall guy here is Darrin’s boss, Larry Tate, who suspects something but can never prove it.
—Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
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Family members of the shooting victims cried as the sentence was handed down.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The victim was taken to Hartford Hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, according to state police.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Even though most job cuts don’t appear to be tied to AI automation, companies are using the technology as an excuse to make routine headcount reductions, according to management experts.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Then again, someone like Charli doesn’t exactly need an excuse to embrace the theatrical.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There will always be whipping boys at the World Cup, a team who arrive underprepared or in chaos of some description.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
13 Nov. 2025
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Gordie is invisible to his mother and a whipping boy to his father.—
Sezin Devi Koehler September 1,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The literal goat in question is Will Harris, whose dreams of playing professional roarball are dampened by his undersized frame.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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Ciara is thawing towards West, and getting goats for the party helped, even though one stomped all over Levi’s face.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Baldoni said Lively and Reynolds used him as a scapegoat for the negative publicity.—
Uwa Ede-Osifo,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Jan. 2026
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What Trump is most certainly reviewing is the viability of Noem as a Cabinet secretary, who has rapidly become a scapegoat for the predictable calamities of the high-visibility deployment of border guards as SWAT troops in urban centers.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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