scapegoat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When policies fail and public support craters, authoritarian regimes inevitably seek a scapegoat.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Companies like Amherst and Invitation Homes that buy and then rent single-family homes have become a popular scapegoat for high housing prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

"Using nature as a scapegoat means that the government will be less effective at tackling some of the genuine challenges facing the planning system," the report said.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2025

A TikTok spokesman told AFP in September that the company "categorically rejects the deceptive presentation" by French MPs, saying it was being made a "scapegoat" for broader societal issues.

From Barron's • Nov. 4, 2025

If she arrived a minute after, she worried because that made her the logical scapegoat of the boss if he happened to be in a bad mood that day.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith