blame someone else

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   to say that another person is responsible for something bad that happened, often unfairly.

   Grammar: Used as a verb phrase; the object 'someone' can be replaced by a name or pronoun: blame John, blame her, blame them.

   Patterns

   • blame someone else for something
   • blame someone else when something goes wrong

   Instead of admitting his mistake, he tried to blame someone else.

   She always blames someone else for her own problems.

   Don't blame someone else for what you did.

2. 2phrasefixed phrasedisapproving

   to avoid taking responsibility by making another person seem at fault.

   Grammar: Often used with 'try to' or 'always': try to blame someone else, always blame someone else.

   Patterns

   • try to blame someone else
   • always blame someone else

   It's not fair to blame someone else when you were the one who made the decision.

   Politicians often blame someone else for problems they created.

Common combinations

blame someone else for something

He blamed someone else for the broken window.

try to blame someone else

She tried to blame someone else, but everyone saw what happened.

always blame someone else

My brother always blames someone else when he's late.

quick to blame someone else

He's quick to blame someone else instead of looking at his own actions.

Synonyms and how they differ

point the finger at someone

More idiomatic and often suggests publicly accusing someone; it can be used even when the accusation is true, while 'blame someone else' often implies unfairly shifting fault.

shift the blame

Focuses on the act of moving responsibility away from yourself, not necessarily onto a specific other person.

Opposites

Word family

blame verb

To say or think that someone is responsible for something bad.

blame noun

Responsibility for a fault or wrong.

blameless adjective

Not responsible for anything bad; innocent.

Commonly confused: blame someone else or accuse?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “blame someone else”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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