whipping boys

Definition of whipping boysnext
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

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping boys
Noun
  • Family members of victims Diego Cardoso de Oliveira and his wife, Matilde Ramos Pinto, wanted guilty pleas instead of no contest pleas.
    Da Lin, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
  • During his time working for Epstein, Indyke was implicated in emails about erasing hard drives, and FBI interviews show that Epstein referred victims to Indyke in the event they were contacted by law enforcement, according to Department of Justice documents.
    Ava Berger, NPR, 20 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Seven cows, seven goats, two donkeys, one sheep and one chicken were taken from the property, the police said.
    Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The peacefulness of the nature around them helps make the war feel distant — the clouds rolling across the green hills, the bleating of their neighbor's goats at sunset.
    ABC News, ABC News, 10 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • As the spotlight settles on each of them, that person unspools a monologue, a candid account of their origins, their desires and dreams, their galaxy of excuses and explanations.
    Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026
  • The people who should be as jaded as the players are the owners, who must tire of excuses from sporting directors and managers about the limited results all this capital expenditure is delivering.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Nations without trust in domestic institutions often turn outward in search of scapegoats.
    Klaus Schwab, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
  • This time, Nixon was one of several scapegoats for a dismal 22-16 Packers loss.
    Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry

“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.

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