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blamed; blaming
1
: to find fault with : censure
the right to praise or blame a literary work
2
a
: to hold responsible
they blame me for everything
b
: to place responsibility for
blames it on me
blamer
noun
Is it blame on or blame for?: Usage Guide
Use of blame in sense 2b with on has occasionally been disparaged as wrong. Such disparagement is without basis; blame on occurs as frequently in carefully edited prose as blame for. Both are standard.
1
: an expression of disapproval or reproach : censure
… saying nothing … either in the way of blame or praise.—
R. L. Stevenson
R. L. Stevenson2
a
: a state of being blameworthy : culpability
… acknowledge the world as a world of common blame,—Muriel Rukeyser
Muriel Rukeyser3
: responsibility for something believed to deserve censure
they must share the blame
Synonyms
Example Sentences
Verb
Don't blame me. You are responsible for your own problems.
My father always blames everything on me.
I blame the poor harvest on the weather.
Noun
It's not entirely his fault, but he's not completely free of blame, either.
willingly accepted the blame for not seeing that the kitchen was properly cleaned
Recent Examples on the WebJessica Passman, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2023
Some residents in the area question whether new housing developments that replaced orchards and a creek bed are to blame.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Globe-trotting newcomers are not to blame for the crisis, said Jaime Palomera, a housing researcher for the Barcelona Urban Research Institute.
—Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023
At the conference, Quinn disputed insurers’ claims that excessive lawsuits or free roof scams by contractors were to blame for high premiums and insurer bankruptcies.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2023
The decision to close the $7.1 billion acquisition in August 2021 despite regulators’ objections baffled many investors and is largely to blame for cutting the company’s market capitalization in half.
—David Wainer, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2023
Slides may be to blame for the most severe damage but heavy rains can also wash out roadways, scouring away the dirt and gravel beneath pavement and causing the pavement to collapse.
—Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023
The estate owners, Countess Fiona Carnarvon and her husband, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, told Reuters that a lack of workers from the European Union is to blame.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2023
While lawmakers questioned Yellen on the federal deficit and upcoming debt ceiling negotiations, many focused instead on the bank failures and who was to blame.
—Fatima Hussein, ajc, 16 Mar. 2023
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 17 Mar. 2023
Both parties share blame for getting us into this situation.
—Maya Macguineas, CNN, 10 Mar. 2023
The majority of witnesses argued to Congress that the fall of Kabul was an American failure with blame touching every presidential administration from George W. Bush to Joe Biden.
—Farnoush Amiri, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Mar. 2023
Though Taylor’s predecessor, David Shaw, deserved some blame for Stanford football’s slide, his recent record reflected the challenges of winning at an academically rigorous university.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2023
To the pro-Leslie camp, the investigation was the Academy’s way of deflecting blame for the Davis and Deadwyler snubs; to the anti-Leslie camp, the film was using its underdog status as an excuse for not playing by the same rules as everyone else.
—Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023
Tomatoes and lettuce are out of stock at a number of British supermarkets this week, along with a number of other fresh fruit and vegetables, leading some to pin blame on Brexit.
—Diego Lasarte, Quartz, 24 Feb. 2023
The critiques of Chao come as Buttigieg and the Biden administration have been battling to keep blame for the toxic crash in Ohio off themselves and pointed at former President Donald Trump.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 23 Feb. 2023
Of course, as The New Republic has previously reported, the blame for a dangerous industry that leads to over 1,000 train derailments a year is cross-partisan.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 22 Feb. 2023
See More
Verb
But another one of these uncomfortable truths is that systemic issues aren’t always to blame for individuals’ experiences.
—Jessica Passman, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2023
Some residents in the area question whether new housing developments that replaced orchards and a creek bed are to blame.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2023
Globe-trotting newcomers are not to blame for the crisis, said Jaime Palomera, a housing researcher for the Barcelona Urban Research Institute.
—Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023
At the conference, Quinn disputed insurers’ claims that excessive lawsuits or free roof scams by contractors were to blame for high premiums and insurer bankruptcies.
—Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2023
The decision to close the $7.1 billion acquisition in August 2021 despite regulators’ objections baffled many investors and is largely to blame for cutting the company’s market capitalization in half.
—David Wainer, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2023
Slides may be to blame for the most severe damage but heavy rains can also wash out roadways, scouring away the dirt and gravel beneath pavement and causing the pavement to collapse.
—Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023
The estate owners, Countess Fiona Carnarvon and her husband, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, told Reuters that a lack of workers from the European Union is to blame.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2023
While lawmakers questioned Yellen on the federal deficit and upcoming debt ceiling negotiations, many focused instead on the bank failures and who was to blame.
—Fatima Hussein, ajc, 16 Mar. 2023
Noun
But it’s also been evident in the push by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and other Democrats to pin the blame for the current banking mess on the crypto industry.
—Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 17 Mar. 2023
Both parties share blame for getting us into this situation.
—Maya Macguineas, CNN, 10 Mar. 2023
The majority of witnesses argued to Congress that the fall of Kabul was an American failure with blame touching every presidential administration from George W. Bush to Joe Biden.
—Farnoush Amiri, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Mar. 2023
Though Taylor’s predecessor, David Shaw, deserved some blame for Stanford football’s slide, his recent record reflected the challenges of winning at an academically rigorous university.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2023
To the pro-Leslie camp, the investigation was the Academy’s way of deflecting blame for the Davis and Deadwyler snubs; to the anti-Leslie camp, the film was using its underdog status as an excuse for not playing by the same rules as everyone else.
—Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023
Tomatoes and lettuce are out of stock at a number of British supermarkets this week, along with a number of other fresh fruit and vegetables, leading some to pin blame on Brexit.
—Diego Lasarte, Quartz, 24 Feb. 2023
The critiques of Chao come as Buttigieg and the Biden administration have been battling to keep blame for the toxic crash in Ohio off themselves and pointed at former President Donald Trump.
—Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 23 Feb. 2023
Of course, as The New Republic has previously reported, the blame for a dangerous industry that leads to over 1,000 train derailments a year is cross-partisan.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 22 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blame.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French blamer, blasmer, from Late Latin blasphemare to blaspheme, from Greek blasphēmein
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of blame was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing blame
Dictionary Entries Near blame
Cite this Entry
“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blame. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
Kids Definition
blame
2 of 2 noun1
: expression of disapproval
receive both blame and praise
2
: responsibility for something that fails : fault
take the blame for the defeat
Etymology
Verb
Middle English blamen "to find fault with," from early French blamer, blasmer (same meaning), from Latin blasphemare "to speak ill of," from Greek blasphemein "to blaspheme" — related to blaspheme
More from Merriam-Webster on blame
Nglish: Translation of blame for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of blame for Arabic Speakers
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