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Recent Examples of whipping boy
As head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci has become a standard whipping boy for conservatives pushing back against anti-pandemic restrictions, but few politicians have placed him at the center of their outreach to their political base like DeSantis.
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Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021
Still, having his excoriating assessments collected between hard covers makes for a powerful indictment, the more so because Boehner’s book vividly captures the growing horror of a bartender’s kid who evolved from a reflexive Democrat to a Reagan Republican to a tea party whipping boy.
—Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2021
The weaponization subcommittee’s foremost target will be the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which during Trump’s presidency became a whipping boy for the right, contradicting the GOP’s claim to champion law and order.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2023
Jamie, the lawyer, is the resident whipping boy, the black sheep whose ambitions surpass his mettle.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for whipping boy 
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021
Still, having his excoriating assessments collected between hard covers makes for a powerful indictment, the more so because Boehner’s book vividly captures the growing horror of a bartender’s kid who evolved from a reflexive Democrat to a Reagan Republican to a tea party whipping boy.
—Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2021
The weaponization subcommittee’s foremost target will be the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which during Trump’s presidency became a whipping boy for the right, contradicting the GOP’s claim to champion law and order.
—Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 21 Feb. 2023
Jamie, the lawyer, is the resident whipping boy, the black sheep whose ambitions surpass his mettle.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for whipping boy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whipping boy
Noun
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The payload comes by way of fraudulent betting applications that victims are tricked into downloading that actually do nothing but steal their data and money.Davey Winder, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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In both cases, Hunter Biden and his legal team had sought to paint himself as a victim of selective, unfair, and politically motivated prosecution.Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Watching England as a non-white person can come with the fear that with many of the national team’s historic defeats comes a fall guy.Carl Anka, The Athletic, 8 July 2024
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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
Noun
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Of course, not every establishment enjoyed having a live goat parading about, which leads us to one of the most infamous events in Chicago sports history.Marianne Mather, Chicago Tribune, 8 Dec. 2024
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Meanwhile, both a dog and a goat were the victims of Kristi Noem, the South Dakota governor, whom Trump had reportedly considered as his running mate.Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The bad quarterback play, Davante Adams’ defection and season-ending injuries to four key defensive players were valid excuses before O’Connell’s injury, and now maybe the results of the final four games don’t matter.Vic Tafur, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
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Get your excuses exposed, your beliefs questioned, and your fears faced head-on.Jodie Cook, Forbes, 8 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Video games have always been a scapegoat Even though Mangione was clearly, at one point in his life, a regular gamer, attempts to connect his gaming history with the murder of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO are tenuous at best.Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
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Some white women – of whom about 53% voted for Trump, according to exit polls – seem equally dismayed that they are being described in certain circles as electoral weak links and scapegoats for the outcome of the election.Suzette Hackney, USA TODAY, 10 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Whipping boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whipping%20boy. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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