goat 1 of 2

as in victim
a person or thing taking the blame for others an unhappy childhood was the goat he used to rationalize every failure and shortcoming

Synonyms & Similar Words

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go at

2 of 2

phrase

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 goat
Noun
To safe his life, his father bought a goat for its milk. J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 20 Feb. 2025 They are naturally drawn to cloven-hoofed animals like goats and sheep because that's what they have been historically bred for. Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025 Some bought scooters, and others invested in goats, said Nguyen Van Thinh, 47, the leader of a club that has 260 members with disabilities. Damien Cave, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2025 In the play, a tornado rips through a family farm in Alabama, killing everything and everyone but one woman and her two goats. Liz Rothaus Bertrand, Charlotte Observer, 12 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for goat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for goat
Noun
  • Reporters, family members of Sigmon's victims and his lawyer will view the execution inside the same building used for all executions over the past 35 years, although prison officials say the glass separating the witness room from the death chamber is now bulletproof.
    CBS News, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The victim, identified as Jhoser Sanchez, later died in the hospital.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 4 Mar. 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
Noun
  • The officers used pandemic travel restrictions as an excuse for the delay.
    Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Goat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/goat. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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