whipping boys

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
  • Four people with wounds were transported to Hennepin Healthcare to be treated for their injuries, where one of the victims died, Parten said Wednesday afternoon.
    Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The victims were identified as Michael Newman, 41, and Stephen Scott, 28, reported the Oklahoman, part of the USA TODAY Network.
    Josh Kelly, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Three baby goats at a North Carolina petting zoo tested positive for rabies, sparking a statewide search for people who interacted with the animals.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Public health officials in North Carolina are warning that people who visited a mobile petting zoo between late July and late August may have been exposed to rabies after multiple baby goats tested positive for the virus.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The software company PDFFly surveyed 2000 managers and senior managers and found that while 85% of managers suspect their employees are making fake excuses to grab extra time off in the summer, half of management are doing exactly that themselves.
    Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Save as a collection on MyRecipes Fall brings football tailgates, family dinners, and dozens more excuses to gather.
    Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Sending out the scapegoats in a van advertising unemployed coaches is next-level stuff.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Black folks have been used as scapegoats for the rising government budgets, and anti-Black stereotypes fueled voters to significantly reduce access to affordable healthcare and educational assistance.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026
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“Whipping boys.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boys. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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