BLAME Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

blame 1 of 2

verb

ˈblām

Definition of blame

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blame

2 of 2

noun

as in guilt

responsibility for wrongdoing or failure willingly accepted the blame for not seeing that the kitchen was properly cleaned

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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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

Verb

Survivors can face public skepticism and harassment in speaking up; oftentimes they are blamed for the violence that harmed them. — Michele Decker, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 Netanyahu’s critics blame him for the security failure and unresolved wars; supporters credit his military campaigns, while deep divisions over religion, military service and the courts shape the race. — Josef Federman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Noun

Helen is adept at shifting blame, and a wise woman realizes when she is outgunned. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 But social media also bears some blame, the research suggests. — Caitlin Dewey, Vox, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blame

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blame

Verb

Vance has neither criticized his friend nor publicly nudged Carlson to temper what’s been harsh criticism of Israel — and Trump’s cultivation of the Netanyahu government.

— Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
At an October debate, Bass pointed out that Raman, as chair of the city council’s housing and homelessness committee, had repeatedly approved spending on Inside Safe, the very program Raman now criticizes as expensive and insufficiently accountable.

— Maxwell Adler, Vanity Fair, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of criticize

Noun

But he was plagued by guilt over his ancestor’s role in the trials, and felt compelled to explore themes of human character, greed, and social decay through his work.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
As Fielder’s initially firm belief in Holmes’ guilt and manipulative powers appears to waver, Seyfried wonders if Fielder is in some way falling for her.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of guilt

Noun

Rushing went through a learning curve juggling his defensive and offensive responsibilities, and navigating intense online scrutiny of his outbursts on the field and in the dugout.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
Enroll your baby before the clock runs out Ensuring your newborn has health coverage is one of the first paperwork responsibilities that parents face in the whirlwind of bringing a baby home.

— Stephanie O'Neill, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of responsibility

Verb

Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
For boards and CXOs, fault tolerance, error correction, economics and demonstrable advantage still matter.

— Rajjie Sarmey, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of fault

Verb

The Israeli-American Council forcefully condemned his rhetoric as dangerous, dehumanizing hate speech.

— Staff, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Sensationalist books, television specials, true-crime documentaries, podcasts, and talk shows have judged and condemned him without conclusive evidence, without a trial, and without an opportunity to defend himself.

— Gustavo Egusquiza, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of condemn

Verb

Omar has denounced the investigations as a politically motivated conspiracy against her, and used it to urge supporters to donate to her reelection campaign.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
That backstory could make his refusal to denounce the ad a more enduring political problem for him.

— Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of denounce

Browse Nearby Words

blamable

blame

blamed

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Style

“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blame. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of blame

verb

noun

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