as in to criticize
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of
more concerned with pleasing audiences, the playwright has always claimed to be indifferent to whether critics praise his comedies or blame them without mercy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in guilt
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
willingly accepted the blame for not seeing that the kitchen was properly cleaned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right
blame for the school's poor performance in standardized tests was attributed to several factors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blame
Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 23 June 2025
In the aftermath of the American invasion of Iraq, blaming Israel for encouraging the U.S. intervention was the realm of fringe conspiracy theorists.
—Ilan Goldenberg, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2025
Reem Raouda, CNBC, 22 June 2025
Public consensus thus far has primarily placed blame on the experimental design of the craft, which was ultimately unable to withstand the extreme pressures of its deep-sea dive.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blame
Verb
The findings could put to rest one of the biggest questions around the terrifying incident: Who is to blame?
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 23 June 2025
In the aftermath of the American invasion of Iraq, blaming Israel for encouraging the U.S. intervention was the realm of fringe conspiracy theorists.
—Ilan Goldenberg, Foreign Affairs, 22 June 2025
Noun
The reframe invites problem-solving instead of blame — and that gets to the root of the issue.
5.
—Reem Raouda, CNBC, 22 June 2025
Public consensus thus far has primarily placed blame on the experimental design of the craft, which was ultimately unable to withstand the extreme pressures of its deep-sea dive.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for blame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blame
Verb
-
At a time when establishing clarity of first principles has never been more urgent, UF’s law school practically dared anyone to criticize the award for whitewashing the Constitution.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 June 2025
-
So how might the author of that manifesto criticize this play?—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
There was overwhelming evidence of his guilt, including his DNA on the knife sheath, cell site evidence the night of the murders, video surveillance of his white Hyundai Elantra, and Amazon search and purchase history of the murder weapon.—
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Still unaware of the Front Man’s true identity, Gi-hun grapples with survivor’s guilt and begs to be killed.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
Noun
-
The price tag attached to its capabilities could be tweaked at that point, potentially providing some breathing room for the lowest spenders Washington has been pushing for an unprecedented defense expenditure increase, arguing that European allies must take responsibility for their own security.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
-
The life skills that come from the responsibility of driving, such as decision-making and time management, will benefit teens throughout their lifetime.—
Selika Josiah Talbott,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
In her dissent, Sotomayor faulted the court for turning a blind eye to injustice.—
David G. Savage,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
-
Pacific Gas & Electric has been faulted for multiple fires in recent years, including the Zogg Fire in 2020 that killed four, the Dixie Fire in 2021 that cost $637.4 million to put out and the devastating Camp Fire in 2018 that killed 85.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Administration officials have sharply condemned the leak, and signaled that access to classified systems would be restricted.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
26 June 2025
-
China and North Korea strongly condemned the U.S. attack on Iran.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blame. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share