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
In real life, Miller takes the ribbing well, happy to be his friend’s fall guy for the purposes of narrative structure.
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Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
At Oregon State, Blaylock served as the university’s primary point of contact for the Blueprint partnership and, ultimately, became its fall guy, resigning from his post in late October.
—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
15 Dec. 2025
In San Diego, he was doomed by an ownership change, becoming a convenient fall guy for delusional former Miami Dolphins executive Mike Dee.
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Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Dec. 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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Jack Crosbie,
Rolling Stone,
7 Apr. 2026
At Oregon State, Blaylock served as the university’s primary point of contact for the Blueprint partnership and, ultimately, became its fall guy, resigning from his post in late October.
—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
15 Dec. 2025
In San Diego, he was doomed by an ownership change, becoming a convenient fall guy for delusional former Miami Dolphins executive Mike Dee.
—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
4 Dec. 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
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
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The families of the victims said the pain is still as raw to this day.
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Most of the victims lived nearby, and funeral prayers were expected later Tuesday.
Noun
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There’s no excuse not to organize your pills for travel when this organizer is on sale for just $8.
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The Fourth of July is, for many of us, a welcome excuse for barbecues, beach outings and fireworks — a holiday defined by gathering, but also some pretty ambitious eating and drinking too.
Noun
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The former Maple Leaf was a whipping boy in Toronto whenever the Leafs couldn't get past the second round of the playoffs, but his first postseason in Vegas has been downright magical.
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The middle class or big corporations don’t want to become the mayor’s whipping boy.
Noun
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In Mont Vernon, New Hampshire, farmer Mindy Dean, 50, and her family will be milking their goats Saturday and maybe taking in some local fireworks.
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Alpha-gal syndrome is caused by ticks, usually the lone star tick, that have previously fed on mammals like cows, deer, goats and pigs.
Noun
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Just like the Mets, the case could be made that Boston’s president of baseball operations, Craig Breslow, deserved the blame, but the skipper became the scapegoat instead.
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In a legal filing, Crowley said Mayor Karen Bass, who was out of the country when the fires began, made the longtime firefighter a scapegoat for the catastrophe.
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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