to point fingers
46
4.8
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
culpar (a alguien)
- When the project failed, everyone began to point fingers instead of working together to find a solution.
The second reason is that ultimately the the purpose of pointing fingers is to shut people up.
- The second reason is that ultimately the the purpose of pointing fingers is to shut people up.
- The media was was scrutinizing and pointing fingers.
- Pop culture right now is in love with pointing fingers.
- We have become infatuated in pointing fingers.
- The easiest job for a Blogger is to say to point fingers at the outlier that comes in to say this is bad, right?
- To basically raise so much awareness that everyone would start pointing fingers at India and saying release these innocent men.
- It was horrible the way people stood in judgement and pointed fingers talking about those gay people.
- So there's like these decisions and then it's like, you know, from the outside people love to blame and point fingers and that kind of thing.
- And both of them, I'm not going to point fingers, but both of them have to do with your side of, you know, the family.
- And as long as you are pointing fingers, it leads to these sorts of unravellings or you think like this.
- You could, I mean, you could point fingers at like, is that EU s s fault with our, you know, strict policies towards Cuba?
Examples
-
Real leaders don't spend all their time pointing fingers of blame.
-
This is no time to point fingers.
-
At this point, anyone clearly involved who points fingers is at fault, in my eyes.
Blog text (1) -
Does anyone really have enough data to point fingers or choose sides?
Blog text (12) -
This is hardly the time to point fingers.
-
Now everyone is pointing fingers.
-
I think that we are a little too often pointing fingers at the parents.
Blog text (13) -
We have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms.
-
The easiest explanation for the disappointing level of student scores is to point fingers at teachers.
Academic text (1999) -
Let's get beyond trying to point fingers at who is and isn't being a jerk.
Blog text (9)
Synonyms
∞
1.6
To say that someone or something caused something bad
∞
2.7
Say that someone did something wrong or illegal
81
3.7
To say someone or something caused a problem
60
4.8
To say someone caused a problem when they did not
50
4.3
To blame someone for a mistake or problem
11
8.7
To blame a person or thing for something bad, often without proof
4
4.1
To unfairly blame someone for problems caused by others
1
6.9
To say someone caused a problem or is at fault
To blame someone for doing something wrong
Antonyms
How Accusatory
- Formal
115
6.8
∞
2.7
- Informal
46
4.8
367
3.5
136
2.0
∞
1.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal action of using a finger to 'point' at someone naturally conveys indicating or singling someone out, which easily extends to blaming or accusing; an average B1 learner who knows 'point' and 'finger' can infer this metaphorical use. This gesture-to-blame mapping is common cross-linguistically (e.g., 'to point the finger at'), so the MWE's meaning is readily derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Point fingers comes from the simple image of someone using a finger to point at another person to show blame. That's why it means 'to accuse or blame'.