strawman
strawman Lexical Profile
strawman Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An intentionally misrepresented or exaggerated version of an opponent's argument created to make it easier to refute.
"During the debate, she accused her opponent of attacking a strawman rather than addressing her actual policy proposal."
A preliminary draft or rough proposal put forward in business or engineering to generate discussion, critique, and refinement.
"The project manager circulated a strawman of the new workflow so the team could identify flaws before finalizing the plan."
A person or entity used as a nominal front or cover for a questionable or concealed financial transaction.
"The real estate developer used a strawman to purchase the parcels of land anonymously without driving up market prices."
A human figure stuffed with straw, such as a scarecrow or an effigy.
"The farmer set up a tall strawman in the middle of the cornfield to keep the crows away."
• verb
To misrepresent or oversimplify an opponent's position or argument in order to make it easier to attack or refute.
"Instead of engaging with the nuances of the study, the critic chose to strawman the researchers' conclusions."
Word Nuance & Usage
While traditionally written as the open compound "straw man," the closed form "strawman" is now widely accepted, particularly when used as a verb or when referring to the logical fallacy and business proposals.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed as a closed compound of "straw" and "man," originally referring to a literal dummy or scarecrow stuffed with straw before acquiring its figurative sense of an easily defeated opponent or argument in the late 16th century.