fall guy
Americannoun
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an easy victim.
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a scapegoat.
noun
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a person who is the victim of a confidence trick
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a scapegoat
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A scapegoat, one who is blamed for the actions of others. For example, He refused to be the fall guy for his colleagues . This expression uses fall in the sense of “consequences” or “blame,” which originated in prison slang. [ Slang ; early 1900s] Also see take the fall .
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An easy victim, one who is readily duped. For example, His friends had marked him as the fall guy—they knew he would believe their ruse . [ Slang ; early 1900s]
Etymology
Origin of fall guy
An Americanism dating back to 1905–10
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.
"I mean, I think the president was joking, as he often does," Vance said when asked if he feared that Trump would make him the fall guy.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Carl’s duplicitous behavior, meanwhile, leads Roy to think his brother is planning to make him the fall guy for their mutual misdeeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
When asked if he was the "fall guy" for Mr McGregor, Mr Lawrence said "not in a million years".
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2024
If this $1.2-billion gamble is going to fail, the Dodgers will need a fall guy, and he’ll be it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2024
I said they’re looking for a fall guy and you’re nominated.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
