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Term

straw man n

Straw man means a weak or imaginary opposition, such as an argument or adversary, set up only to be easily confuted. Explore the term's definition, IPA/phonetic pronunciation, and usage examples.

Definition of straw man

  • a weak or imaginary opposition, such as an argument or adversary, set up only to be easily confuted

Usage examples of straw man

Her opponent attacked a straw man instead of answering her actual proposal.

The essay was unfair because it replaced the critic’s view with a straw man.

Calling all regulation socialism is a straw man that avoids the real policy debate.

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