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Recent Examples of scapegoat
Karl-Anthony Towns can’t be the scapegoat for this one.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2026
Arbeloa did not rage like his former Madrid manager Jose Mourinho might have in a moment like this, finding a scapegoat inside or outside his team, or mounting a drama to distract from what had happened.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Tariffs, tighter immigration, and economic uncertainty have all played a role—and artificial intelligence has become an easy scapegoat.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
O’Connor, 51, contacted this news organization from the Elmwood women’s jail in Milpitas to object to how she has been portrayed, cast herself as a scapegoat for teenagers’ illicit behavior and accuse the court system of bias.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scapegoat
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 20 Jan. 2026
Arbeloa did not rage like his former Madrid manager Jose Mourinho might have in a moment like this, finding a scapegoat inside or outside his team, or mounting a drama to distract from what had happened.
—Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Tariffs, tighter immigration, and economic uncertainty have all played a role—and artificial intelligence has become an easy scapegoat.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026
O’Connor, 51, contacted this news organization from the Elmwood women’s jail in Milpitas to object to how she has been portrayed, cast herself as a scapegoat for teenagers’ illicit behavior and accuse the court system of bias.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scapegoat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegoat
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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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
Cite this Entry
“Scapegoat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegoat. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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