1. a person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others
2. in biblical tradition, a goat symbolically burdened with the sins of the people and sent into the wilderness
Usage: biblical; historical

1. to make someone a scapegoat; to blame someone for others’ faults

Examples

• The manager became the scapegoat for the company’s poor performance.
• Don’t scapegoat me for your mistakes.
• The team captain was unfairly made a scapegoat after the loss.
• Politicians often look for a scapegoat when policies fail.
• She refused to be scapegoated for the project’s failure.
• The ancient ritual involved sending a scapegoat into the desert.
• It’s easy to scapegoat immigrants for economic problems.