scapegoats

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.

Many Angolan journalists and activists strongly contest the idea that the protests weren't organic, and say Angolan authorities might be using the Russians as scapegoats.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

The irony, which Mr. Crow misses, is that Marat, with his lists of enemies and scapegoats and his lust for punishment, was the ancestor of the modern totalitarians.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

Diego Fagúndez, who captained the Galaxy against Houston and scored the team’s only goal Saturday in his 400th MLS appearance, agrees the team needs to stop looking for scapegoats and start looking for solutions.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2025

This ties her to the witches of centuries past, who also served as scapegoats for their villages’ sins.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2025

Among the many scapegoats chosen were elderly women living alone, who were charged with witchcraft: Kepler’s mother was carried away in the middle of the night in a laundry chest.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan