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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fall guy
Post-failure, Lumi is the subject of a government inquest, and Pierpoint has to send a representative who will act as the bank’s face and potential fall guy.
—
Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
The school offers bachelor’s, master’s and post-graduate degrees, in Spanish, across most professional fields, as well as a one-year introductory filmmaking course in English and a bilingual stunt academy to train the next generation of fall guys.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2024
In the end, the biggest loser on Sunday was neither United Russia nor Putin, but rather his fall guy, Medvedev.
—Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2011
And when his former leading man, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), accidentally kills Colt’s replacement stunt man, Ryder and his unsavory producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) hatch a plan to make Colt the literal fall guy.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Nina Li Coomes, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024
The school offers bachelor’s, master’s and post-graduate degrees, in Spanish, across most professional fields, as well as a one-year introductory filmmaking course in English and a bilingual stunt academy to train the next generation of fall guys.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Aug. 2024
In the end, the biggest loser on Sunday was neither United Russia nor Putin, but rather his fall guy, Medvedev.
—Kathryn Stoner-Weiss, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2011
And when his former leading man, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), accidentally kills Colt’s replacement stunt man, Ryder and his unsavory producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham) hatch a plan to make Colt the literal fall guy.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
-
Once identified, the kit dynamically loads a counterfeit login page tailored to that provider, often with the victim’s email address already filled in.—
Alex Vakulov,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The gallery was filled with the victim’s friends, colleagues and family.—
Caleb Lunetta,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse to snuggle with a blanket in the middle of a party? 27.—
Maggie Griswold,
StyleCaster,
1 Apr. 2025
-
Back in San Jose, Santana Row continues to beckon with new dining options and more excuses to pay for parking there.—
Laura Ness,
Mercury News,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Once more, Turkey seems to have become a whipping boy for all manner of interests, some of which have little to do with the realities of Turkey itself.—
Hugh Pope,
Foreign Affairs,
21 Oct. 2010
-
The Republicans and their puppet master, Donald Trump, are ginning up the machine against immigration and making Mayorkas their whipping boy for chaos at the border.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
18 Apr. 2024
Noun
-
The pasture behind the barn is a blur of adolescent goats bleating, bolting, and knocking one another down.—
Scott Clark as told to Betsy Andrews,
Saveur,
3 Apr. 2025
-
While the term mutton often refers to the meat of an adult sheep in many English-speaking places, in the cuisines of South Asia and the Caribbean, mutton typically refers to goat meat.—
Vicky Hallett,
NPR,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The New York Times analysis: For Trump, Musk is a scapegoat and a liability.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
3 Apr. 2025
-
What began as a call for awareness of real life injustices has been transformed into a punchline and rhetorical scapegoat for everything from corporate policies to education.—
Jameelah Nasheed,
Essence,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share