blamed
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Related to blamed: blame shifting
blame (someone or something) for (something)
To foist or assign responsibility or guilt for something on someone or something. My partner had been cooking the books for years, but because I was the CEO, I was blamed for our company's collapse. Don't blame me for your unhappiness—I told you not to take that job! The athlete blamed his faulty equipment for his poor performance during the game.
blame (something) on (someone or something)
To foist or assign responsibility or guilt for something on someone or something. My partner had been cooking the books for years, but because I was the CEO, our company's collapse was blamed on me. Don't blame your unhappiness on me—I told you not to take that job! The athlete blamed his poor performance during the game on faulty equipment.
blame the messenger
To get angry at or punish someone who is simply delivering bad or undesirable news, though they are not responsible for it. Used most commonly in the phrase "don't blame the messenger." I'm a news anchor—it is my job to report the news, even the bad stuff. But some people want to blame the messenger, as if I were the one who caused the bad news to begin with. A: "What do you mean I'm being sued by my ex-wife? I'll knock your lights out!" B: "Hey, I'm just here to deliver the subpoena. Don't blame the messenger!"
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.