sacrificial lamb
noun
: someone or something that is deliberately sacrificed to promote a cause or for the benefit of others
… has become the sacrificial lamb to deflect criticism about exaggerated charges used to make the case for war on Iraq.—
John Diamond
John DiamondYet some women complain that they are recruited as sacrificial lambs to fill out tickets against incumbents regarded as unbeatable.—Patricia A. Avery
Patricia A. AveryExamples of sacrificial lamb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s a lot of ‘one driver has to play the sacrificial lamb’ in the race.
—Patrick Iversen, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024
Rodrygo has become the sacrificial lamb of a tactical rearrangement, and seems to have lost importance with his manager while being more increasingly confined to the bench.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Israel is not, is not a sacrificial lamb for the Iranians or for their proxies.
—Eric Cortellessa/jerusalem, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024
And oftentimes, Black women are the sacrificial lambs.
—Taylor Crumpton, TIME, 19 July 2024
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Patrick Iversen, The Athletic, 26 Aug. 2024
Rodrygo has become the sacrificial lamb of a tactical rearrangement, and seems to have lost importance with his manager while being more increasingly confined to the bench.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Israel is not, is not a sacrificial lamb for the Iranians or for their proxies.
—Eric Cortellessa/jerusalem, TIME, 8 Aug. 2024
And oftentimes, Black women are the sacrificial lambs.
—Taylor Crumpton, TIME, 19 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for sacrificial lamb
Dictionary Entries Near sacrificial lamb
Cite this Entry
“Sacrificial lamb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sacrificial%20lamb. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
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