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straw man

NOUN
  1. a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted
  2. a person used as a cover for some questionable activity
  3. an effigy in the shape of a man to frighten birds away from seeds

How To Use straw man In A Sentence

  • So the image of the bespectacled fuddy-duddy in his dusty library is a straw man: I would hazard that print publishing experts are actually on the cutting edge of new media. Publishing’s not as out of it as you think
  • As I understand it it can all be sorted out, but you are — I suspect unintentionally and in good faith — offering a bit of a straw man due to your not distinguishing a few key concepts, such as prudentialism versus constitutional judgment, empathy for a legal injustice versus sympathy resulting in bias, and a judge versus a justice. The Volokh Conspiracy » Legal Ambiguity, Empathy, and the Role of Judicial Power:
  • So the claim that there are conservatives who believe in some sort of absolute liberty is a total straw man.
  • He will spark of such an argument via the use of ad hominem attacks (i.e. 'you're nothing but a fanboy' is a popular phrase) (or in this case repeated accusations that those contributing are "embittered feminists") with no substance or relevance to back them up as well as straw man arguments (i.e. continual redefining of what the discussion is actually about), which he uses to simply avoid addressing the essence of the issue. Sex and the single Marvel super heroine | Robot 6 @ Comic Book Resources – Covering Comic Book News and Entertainment
  • Nothing like a "religionist" straw man to bait, for thinkers who can't look at themselves AlterNet.org Main RSS Feed
  • The " Imperial President " was a straw man created by defensive congressmen and by disillusioned liberals.
  • So please stop trying to make me into your own personal straw man to knock over and then scoff at with little snidey remarks and condescending interjections. TEXAS FAITH: Glenn Beck and the culture of fear | RELIGION Blog | dallasnews.com
  • One tended to see it cited mostly as a straw man, a cardinal example of an overly literal approach to literary theory. Tenured Radicals: How Politics Has Corrupted Higher Education
  • The union convinces its members that they are victims and that they don't earn a living wage, and that they need to be protected "from abuse of power by administrators". that statement makes me believe you were an Oregon teacher even less. and of course a teacher's union isn't perfect -- but using it as a straw man catch-all for academic ills is ludicrous. High school dropout rate takes a leap (Jack Bog's Blog)
  • That’s a good one – only a member of the crime syndicate could project so well their own reality onto a scapegoat – a straw man – your name befits your amorality – say hi to your crime bosses Bush and Cheney next time you pay homage Think Progress » Santorum: ‘I Think The Focus Should Not Be Iraq, It Should Be Iran’
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