straw man
noun
1
: a weak or imaginary opposition (such as an argument or adversary) set up only to be easily confuted
2
: a person set up to serve as a cover for a usually questionable transaction
Examples of straw man in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This will enable the type of straw man circumstances to go underground and work at a global scale.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
These are straw man fallacies, falsely implying that acknowledging and celebrating the full range of backgrounds, identities and family structures kids bring to the classroom will somehow crowd out instruction time.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
The true villain is Zac, who is really just a straw man for the Mormon church.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 16 May 2025
Tapper's stutter straw man is easily knocked over with just a few undeniable truths: reading stage directions out loud repeatedly isn't stuttering.
—Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for straw man
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Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025
These are straw man fallacies, falsely implying that acknowledging and celebrating the full range of backgrounds, identities and family structures kids bring to the classroom will somehow crowd out instruction time.
—Heidi Stevens, Chicago Tribune, 30 May 2025
The true villain is Zac, who is really just a straw man for the Mormon church.
—Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 16 May 2025
Tapper's stutter straw man is easily knocked over with just a few undeniable truths: reading stage directions out loud repeatedly isn't stuttering.
—Mark R. Weaver, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for straw man
Cite this Entry
“Straw man.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straw%20man. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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