blame/shoot the messenger

phrase

: to become angry at someone who has given one bad news

Examples of blame/shoot the messenger in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For whatever reason, my skin seems to absorb the product really well that way—don't shoot the messenger! — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 16 Feb. 2026

When harmful gossip surfaces, there’s a monetary motivation to blame the messenger. — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 14 Nov. 2025

When a mistake is identified, the approach should be to prevent the mistake rather than shoot the messenger, which can lead to cover-ups. — Buyan Thyagarajan, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

And even when the agency’s predictions are right, folks often want to blame the messenger. — Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 9 May 2024

Mark Kelly China’s economy is struggling, and the Communist Party’s response is to shoot the messenger. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 Aug. 2023