straw man
To falsely attribute an insubstantial argument to another through direct declaration…To falsely attribute an insubstantial argument (a straw man argument) to another through direct declaration or indirect implication; to put words in someone's mouth.
Meaning
1 sensesTo falsely attribute an insubstantial argument (a straw man argument) to another through direct declaration or indirect implication; to put words in someone's mouth.
Person A: "Cats have claws." Person B: "Not all cats have claws: some are declawed." Person A: "Don't straw man me; I never said all."
Examples
1 sentencesIt always has to be a straw man with them.
Origin
From straw + man.From straw + man.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
straw mans, straw manning, straw manned, straw manned| Base form | straw man · to straw man |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | straw mans |
| Present participle | straw manning |
| Past simple | straw manned |
| Past participle | straw manned |
irregular · Lesson
Word family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, irregular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.