26984 words

scapegoat

4 definitions • 4 examples
1
a person who is blamed for something that someone else has done:

Examples:

The captain was made a scapegoat for the team's failure.
2
someone who is blamed or punished for another’s faults or actions:

Examples:

When things don’t go well, people always look for a scapegoat.
3
a person or thing that is blamed for something bad that someone else has done:

Examples:

Politicians have used the financial sector as a scapegoat for the global economic crisis.
4
to blame a person or thing for something bad that someone else has done:

Examples:

They scapegoated environmental laws as the problem of the economy, instead of looking for real problems.

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