to blame

Examples

• All

• But I have to stop blaming myself for this.

  DoctorRamani

• Angie had been the catalyst, but he could blame only himself in the end.

  Fiction book (1990)

• So if anything goes wrong, you blame Peter Day, right?

• If something happens, blame him and court system.

• Well, I can hardly blame him.

  The Front Page (1974)

• My hope is that you will just stop blaming yourself.

  DoctorRamani

• You have to stop blaming yourself.

  Of Things Past (2023)

• I can't blame you for being suspicious.

  The Samaritan (2012)

• Official rhetoric is at least partly to blame for inflated public fears about Chinese power.

  Academic text (2011)

• Of course, I shouldn't blame you for society's woes.

Synonyms

A

to accuse

vsto blame

∞ 2.7

Say that someone did something wrong or illegal

applies to saying someone caused any bad or wrong matter, not only crimes

P

to point fingers

vsto blame

• Informal

114 4.8

To blame someone when it is not clear who is at fault

is simply saying someone caused something, not tied to shared uncertainty

B

to blame it on

vsto blame

105 3.7

To say someone or something caused a problem

says someone caused something bad or wrong

P

to pin on

vsto blame

59 4.8

To say someone caused a problem when they did not

is a neutral assertion of responsibility rather than an unfair assignment

F

to fault

vsto blame

51 4.3

To blame someone for a mistake or problem

focuses on saying someone is responsible rather than criticizing

S

to scapegoat

vsto blame

15 4.1

To unfairly blame someone for problems caused by others

is simply saying someone caused something rather than shifting responsibility to escape duty

I

to impute

vsto blame

• Formal

12 8.7

To blame a person or thing for something bad, often without proof

is a general claim of responsibility not implying lack of proof

W

to wite

vsto blame

• Archaic

9.9

To blame someone for doing something wrong

is used to say someone caused any bad or wrong event

L

to lay the blame at the feet of (someone)

vsto blame

6.9

To say someone caused a problem or is at fault

is a general attribution of responsibility rather than singling out a person or group

Antonyms

P

to pardon

275 3.0

To forgive someone for a small mistake or rude act

A

to absolve

• Formal

42 7.2

Make someone officially free from blame, guilt, or responsibility

Idioms

B

to blame Canada

• Informal

2 8.8

To say Canada is to blame for a small problem as a joke

L

to lay the blame at the feet of (someone)

6.9

To say someone caused a problem or is at fault

Phrasal Verbs

B

to blame it on

105 3.7

To say someone or something caused a problem

Compounds

B

blame game

• Informal

19 4.8

People or groups say others caused a problem to avoid taking responsibility

How Accusatory

to denounce

• Formal

142 6.8

to accuse

∞ 2.7

to blame

∞ 1.6

to suggest

∞ 2.1

Surface Forms

Etymology