straw man

straw man

n.

1. A person who is set up as a cover or front for a questionable enterprise.

2. An argument or opponent set up so as to be easily refuted or defeated.

3. A bundle of straw made into the likeness of a man and often used as a scarecrow.

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straw man

n Chiefly US

1. (Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Crafts) a figure of a man made from straw

2. another term for man of straw

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	straw man - a person used as a cover for some questionable activity figurehead, front man, nominal head, strawman, front beguiler, cheater, deceiver, trickster, slicker, cheat - someone who leads you to believe something that is not true
	2.	straw man - a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted strawman specious argument - an argument that appears good at first view but is really fallacious
	3.	straw man - an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds bird-scarer, scarecrow, scarer, strawman effigy, simulacrum, image - a representation of a person (especially in the form of sculpture); "the coin bears an effigy of Lincoln"; "the emperor's tomb had his image carved in stone"