scapegoat
noun [ C ]
uk/ˈskeɪpɡəʊt/ usa person or thing that is blamed for something bad that someone else has done:
Politicians have used the financial sector as a scapegoat for the global economic crisis.
scapegoat
verb [ T ]
uk/ˈskeɪpɡəʊt/ usto blame a person or thing for something bad that someone else has done:
They scapegoated environmental laws as the problem of the economy, instead of looking for real problems.