Straw man (law)

Imagine you and your friends are deciding what game to play together. One friend suggests you play tag, while another friend suggests you play hide and seek. Instead of addressing the options given, another friend suggests you should all just go to the park and play on the swings. This friend is creating a "straw man" argument, because they are not directly responding to the options already given, but instead creating a new option that wasn't even suggested.

In law, a "straw man" argument happens when someone misrepresents or exaggerates the argument or position of the opposing side to make it easier to argue against. This is like if someone asks for a toy car for their birthday, but someone else responds by saying they can't have an airplane because it's too expensive. This doesn't actually address the original request for a toy car, but instead exaggerates it to seem unreasonable.

Lawyers use straw man arguments to make their opponent's argument seem weaker than it actually is, so it's important to understand this tactic and know when it's being used.