to blame, be

be to blame

To be the cause of something harmful or unpleasant. I heard that slippery roads were to blame for the accident here this morning. We know you are to blame for the disappearing office supplies, Jake. I think an unhappy cat is to blame for all the commotion outside my window right now.

See also: blame, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

to blame, be

Be responsible for or guilty of something wrong or bad, as in Obviously the teacher was to blame for the chaos in the classroom, or Mary was not to blame for these errors. [Early 1200s]

See also: to

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.