straw man

noun

1. a mass of straw formed to resemble a man, as for a doll or scarecrow.
2. a person whose importance or function is only nominal, as to cover another's activities; front.
3. a fabricated or conveniently weak or innocuous person, object, matter, etc., used as a seeming adversary or argument:

   The issue she railed about was no more than a straw man.

straw man

noun

1. a figure of a man made from straw
2. another term for man of straw

straw man

1. A made-up version of an opponent's argument that can easily be defeated. To accuse people of attacking a straw man is to suggest that they are avoiding worthier opponents and more valid criticisms of their own position: “His speech had emotional appeal, but it wasn't really convincing because he attacked a straw man rather than addressing the real issues.”

Word History and Origins

Origin of straw man¹

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

“It doesn’t really matter where Donald Trump accepts the Republican nomination—if he wins the whole country would be under that rule—I think that’s a straw man argument,” Johnson said.

From Salon

The commissioner’s office sees the players’ complaint as a straw man.

From Seattle Times

"It turned out that neither the country, nor the army, nor Russian industry were ready for war, and so-called Ukraine was far from being a straw man in military terms."

From Reuters

I respectfully suggest that this is a straw man even an Alaskan salmon could identify.

From Salon

Many staff members agreed with Mr. Licht on the general notion that the network should play it straight, and he and others viewed the new leadership as “punching at a straw man.”

From New York Times

More About Straw Man

What does straw man mean?

A straw man is a fictional, exaggerated version of an opposing viewpoint, especially one that’s intentionally created to be easy to dismiss or argue against and to make one’s own argument seem stronger.

It’s commonly used in the phrase straw man argument, referring to an argument that uses a straw man. Straw man is sometimes spelled strawman.

A straw man argument is a kind of logical fallacy, which is an illogical or misleading argument. Straw man arguments can be made unintentionally, but most are made on purpose to make the other side seem evil, incompetent, or extremist.

Because straw men are not based on reality, they are often considered deceitful or nonsensical, and the term implies a criticism of such methods. They are often associated with their use in political arguments or debates. For example, during a campaign, a politician may call for greater government protection for endangered wolves. If that politician’s opponent then accuses them of wanting to release wolves into elementary schools, that’s a straw man argument.

The literal meaning of straw man refers to the likeness of a person made out of straw (like a scarecrow).

Straw man can also be used to refer to a person who’s used to cover someone’s else’s activities when they may be illegal or unethical. For example, this sense of straw man can refer to someone who makes a straw purchase—a purchase of something, such as a gun, for a person who is restricted from buying it.

Example: The senator was criticized for using a straw man argument during the debate instead of addressing his opponent’s real position.

Where does straw man come from?

The first records of the term straw man come from the 1580s. It was used literally to refer to a human figure made out of straw. The use of straw man to refer to a form of argument is newer, although the exact origin is unknown.

The term is used as a metaphor, alluding to the fact that a person made of straw is obviously not real and is therefore an easy opponent due to being incapable of fighting back.

The goal of a straw man is to weaken an opponent’s actual argument and make your own look better in comparison. Of course, this strategy can fail if the audience realizes that you are attacking a straw man because you aren’t confident in your own position and wouldn’t hold up against the opposing argument.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to straw man?

• straw men (plural)
• strawman (alternate spelling)
• straw-man (alternate spelling)

What are some synonyms for straw man?

• man of straw

What are some words that share a root or word element with straw man? 

• straw
• man

What are some words that often get used in discussing straw man?

 

• argument
• fallacy
• illogical
• nonsense
• bad faith
• disinformation
• misleading

How is straw man used in real life?

The phrase straw man implies a criticism of such arguments. Straw man arguments are especially associated with political debates.

"This is going to ruin cinema!" yeah, every decade since the twenties wants their straw man argument back.

— Moltar, Moltar, and Moltar (@cooke9000) August 2, 2020

It’s hard to have a debate with people on twitter because 98% of people on here use straw man arguments for every single rebuttal they have

— Kylan Morris (@KylanDMorris) July 28, 2018

Is it me or does “Law & Order: SVU” have some of the biggest straw man characters ever?

— John Miles (@PrivatizeEdu) December 30, 2018

 

 

Try using straw man!

True or False?

A straw man is an accurate representation of an opposing argument that is logically disproved with researched facts and figures.