fall guy

noun
UK: /ˈfɔːl ɡaɪ/
US: /ˈfɔːl ɡaɪ/

  1. A person who is blamed for something, especially something they did not do.

    1. He was made the fall guy for the company's financial problems.
    2. The manager needed a fall guy, so he blamed the junior employee for the error.

  2. Someone who takes the blame or punishment for someone else's actions, often to protect them.

    1. I'm not going to be the fall guy this time I did nothing wrong.
    2. He agreed to be the fall guy to protect his friends from getting into serious trouble.

Synonyms

scapegoat patsy dupe victim

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fall guy" in English means: A person who is blamed for something, especially something they did not do., Someone who takes the blame or punishment for someone else's actions, often to protect them..

The phonetic transcription of "fall guy" is /ˈfɔːl ɡaɪ/ in British English and /ˈfɔːl ɡaɪ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "fall guy": scapegoat, patsy, dupe, victim.

Example usage of "fall guy": "He was made the fall guy for the company's financial problems.". More examples on the page.