to blame
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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.
to blame
Responsible for or the cause of (something); deserving of blame or reprisal (for something). 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.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
to blame
1. Deserving censure or disapproval; at fault: an investigation to determine who was to blame for the leak.
2. Being the cause or source of something: A freak storm was to blame for the power outage.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.