whipping boy
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.
While Mr. Blanche was Republicans’ whipping boy, their real target was Mr. Trump, whose recent interventions in Republican politics have dismayed them.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Toyota’s faith in democratizing hybrid technology turned the company, once an environmental darling, into a whipping boy as it was widely accused of foot-dragging over electric vehicles.
From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024
Greg, on the other hand, is a tool – frequently a whipping boy, sometimes a human shield, lately a corporate guillotine.
From Salon • May 15, 2023
Instead, Sen. Nancy Skinner had to file Senate Bill 206 five years later, outfoxing higher education leaders everywhere, not just Emmert, their whipping boy.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2022
Jackie was no sycophant or whipping boy, as he’s been described by other writers.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
