pin the blame on

idiomatic phrase

: to assign (someone) the blame for something
When he got caught, he tried to pin the blame on someone else.
Eventually, researchers and governments did definitively pin the blame for that incident on the Russian government …Patrick Howell O'Neill

Examples of pin the blame on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Eventually, investigators pinned the blame on the elaborate design of support components that appeared sound when they were installed in the 1970s. David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2024 Other senior officials have sought to pin the blame on Ukraine for the attack. Christian Edwards, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024 However, defense attorneys reportedly argued that Kayla concocted a story that pinned the blame on her husband. Nicole Acosta, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 In response, President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have sought to pin the blame on Republicans over the border. USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024 Gutierrez Reed has denied bringing the live rounds on set, and has pinned the blame on Seth Kenney, her mentor, who provided guns and dummy ammunition to the production. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024 Researchers commonly pin the blame on a colossal asteroid that crashed into modern day Mexico, instigating a climate catastrophe. Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 22 Dec. 2023 The defense sought to largely pin the blame on a right-wing website that published the surveillance video of the two women counting ballots. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Dec. 2023 Early reports pinned the blame on an Israel airstrike. IEEE Spectrum, 17 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pin the blame on.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pin the blame on was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near pin the blame on

Cite this Entry

“Pin the blame on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pin%20the%20blame%20on. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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