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Glite Dictionary
to take the fall

to take the fall

55 7.5
Accept blame or punishment, often instead of someone else
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : cargar con la culpa
  • In the meeting, I told my boss I would take the fall if the project failed.
  • take the fall for a crime
  • let someone take the fall
  • set up to take the fall

And the guy that took the fall was not as attractive as heck, Seth.

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Examples

  • They'll take the fall for anything that happens.

    On Deadly Ground (1994)

  • Blake, I'm not gonna let her take the fall for this.

    Step Up 2: The Streets (2008)

  • You needed me to take the fall for you.

    So Undercover (2012)

  • Somebody has to take the fall for that, and only a crazy person would do it.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Frank was going to let her take the fall.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Matt is about to take the fall for Mary.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • After all, Jack let Adam take the fall for that diary years ago.

    Blog text (26)

  • But at least he had the integrity to take the fall for what happened in his name and on his watch.

    Blog text (34)

  • Elena took the fall and went to prison for 30 years.

    Savages (2012)

  • We take the fall.

    Badland (2007)

Synonyms

to take responsibility
vsto take the fall
193 3.3

To admit you caused a problem and accept the blame

accept blame specifically to protect someone else
to face the music
vsto take the fall
  • Informal
19 4.5

Accept and deal with unpleasant results or criticism for something you did

accept blame on behalf of someone else rather than for oneself
to hold the bag
vsto take the fall
  • Informal
11 8.8

End up responsible for the blame or a problem others avoid

accept blame instead of another person
to pay the piper
vsto take the fall
  • Informal
9 7.7

Accept the bad result of something you did

accept those consequences to shield another person instead of oneself
to take one's medicine
vsto take the fall
  • Informal
5 6.1

Accept punishment or a bad result without complaining

take blame to spare another person instead of facing own punishment
to fall on one's sword
vsto take the fall
  • Formal
4 8.4

To accept blame or quit a job to protect other people

accept blame instead of another person without necessarily resigning
to take one's lumps
vsto take the fall
  • Informal
2 8.1

To accept unpleasant results and sometimes punishment for something you did

receive blame or punishment in another's place rather than for oneself
to carry the can
vsto take the fall
  • UK
1 7.9

To accept blame or responsibility that others refuse

accept blame instead of another person
to pay the fiddler
vsto take the fall
  • Archaic
1 8.9

Face the bad results of your actions after enjoying something

take the blame instead to protect someone else rather than pay oneself
to make your bed and lie in it
vsto take the fall
  • Informal
7.0

To accept the bad results of your own choices

accept punishment instead of someone else rather than live with own choices

How Responsible

to take the fall
  • Informal
55 7.5
to own up
  • Informal
38 4.4

Surface Forms

take the fall infinitive
taking the fall present participle
takes the fall third person singular
took the fall past
taken the fall past participle

Morphology

take + the + fall

There is a partly compositional link: 'take' means to assume and 'fall' can metaphorically mean disgrace or a loss of standing, so a learner could infer that someone is assuming disgrace or blame. However, the specific idiomatic sense of accepting blame (often on behalf of someone else) is not fully predictable from the literal words and requires some exposure. Therefore the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The idiom take the fall comes from a simple picture: one person steps forward and takes a fall—they are pushed down or punished so the others can stay safe. That's why it means 'to accept blame or punishment for someone else'.