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
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
In The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the titular fall guy, which is an industry term for stunt man.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
The irony was that Mayorkas, who had witnessed the surge in unaccompanied minors in 2014, as Deputy Secretary, was perhaps the least convenient fall guy.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
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
In The Fall Guy, Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the titular fall guy, which is an industry term for stunt man.
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 May 2024
The irony was that Mayorkas, who had witnessed the surge in unaccompanied minors in 2014, as Deputy Secretary, was perhaps the least convenient fall guy.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for fall guy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fall guy
Noun
-
The term has been applied to other groups as well: Teachers, health care workers, government officials and public safety professionals may encounter mandates that threaten to compromise their values, witness morally repugnant behavior or become a victim of somebody else’s transgression.—
Christina Caron,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
-
This means victims of the Park, Franklin, Palisades and Eaton fires could be eligible for relief.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Ted Sarandos and the powerful in Hollywood might be tempted to use Emilia Pérez as a great excuse to back away from the trans community.—
Seven Graham,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The officers used pandemic travel restrictions as an excuse for the delay.—
Joshua Yaffa,
The New Yorker,
24 Feb. 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
-
Sharing an exploding fist bump and a laugh with a young boy herding goats at a river island.—
Matt Dutile,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2025
-
By Belinda Luscombe February 7, 2025 1:51 PM EST James Akot has three goats.—
Belinda Luscombe,
TIME,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In our opinion, Chief Crowley is being made a scapegoat, and she is being terminated for telling the truth.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
22 Feb. 2025
-
The Old Testament story of the scapegoat—a goat burdened by human sins and exiled into the wilderness in order to purify the community—inspired Hepburn Ferrer’s latest body of work.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
25 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fall guy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fall%20guy. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share