Definition of Scapegoat

a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place

Examples of Scapegoat in a sentence

Even though Jim did not steal your wallet, you are still using him as a scapegoat to cover for your son’s thievery! 🔊

Because the detectives could not catch the real killer, they arrested a vagrant as a scapegoat to calm the worried public. 🔊

Now that the company is about to declare bankruptcy, upper level managers are looking for a scapegoat to save their own skins. 🔊

Although Jason made no important decisions in his household, his wife always made him the scapegoat whenever trouble occurred. 🔊

The older boy bullied his younger brother into being the scapegoat for the crime he committed. 🔊

Since the government was unsure of who the terrorists were, it chose an unknown sect as a scapegoat to get the press to move on to a different topic. 🔊

The president was unable to accept responsibility for his poor decisions so he passed the blame to one of his advisers and made the man a scapegoat. 🔊

When football fans look for someone to blame for a loss, they often turn the team’s quarterback into the scapegoat. 🔊

The young boy used the puppy as a scapegoat when his father came across the broken picture frame on the floor. 🔊

Rather than leave his family penniless, the dying man accepted two million dollars to be a scapegoat so a wealthy playboy would not be placed in prison for life. 🔊

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