Meaning & use
scapegoat
A person unfairly blamed for the mistakes or wrongdoing of others.
See it in a sentence
The manager made the new employee a scapegoat for the team's missed deadline.
Historians argue the minority group became a scapegoat during the economic crisis.
A note on using this word
Scapegoat can also be used as a verb, as in 'they scapegoated him for the failure.'
Words with a similar meaning
fall guypatsy
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To unfairly blame someone for a problem caused by others.
Critics said the company scapegoated a single worker instead of fixing its policies.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “scapegoat”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.