straw man

straw man

Some argument or position set up as an easy object of criticism, derision, or refutation. He spent the whole debate setting up and knocking down straw men about his opponent's supposed support of the terrorist groups in the Middle East. Come on—that's just a ridiculous straw man, and you know it! If you want to argue with me, then argue with what I'm actually saying.

See also: man, straw

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

straw man

a weak proposition posited only to be demolished by a simple countering argument. So you can knock down your own straw man! Big deal. The question is how can you deal with real problems.

See also: man, straw

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.