straw man
- a mass of straw formed to resemble a man, as for a doll or scarecrow.
- a person whose importance or function is only nominal, as to cover another's activities; front.
- a fabricated or conveniently weak or innocuous person, object, matter, etc., used as a seeming adversary or argument: The issue she railed about was no more than a straw man.
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Origin of straw man
First recorded in 1585–95
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for strawman
Historical Examples
Then I learned that my indefinite gentleman had been a partner of the forger's brother, and that his name was Strawman.
Creditors; PariahAugust Strindberg
We'll drag out Mr. Strawman, and lynch him to the big gate before they get along.
Chip, of the Flying UB. M. Bower
straw man
- a figure of a man made from straw
- another term for man of straw
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for strawman
straw man
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
straw man
A made-up version of an opponent's argument that can easily be defeated. To accuse people of attacking a straw man is to suggest that they are avoiding worthier opponents and more valid criticisms of their own position: “His speech had emotional appeal, but it wasn't really convincing because he attacked a straw man rather than addressing the real issues.”
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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.