What Is a Straw Man Argument? Definition and Examples

1. Straw Man Fallacy: This occurs when someone takes another person's argument or point, distorts it or exaggerates it in some kind of extreme way, and then attacks the extreme distortion, as if that is really the claim the first person is making.

the straw man fallacy. To straw man your opponent, you invent a weak counterargument to your position and pretend that it’s your opponent’s position, even though it’s not.

The straw man fallacy also has its inverse—the “motte-and-bailey” fallacy6—which can be used as a defensive tactic.