as in accusation
the act of blaming someone for a problem instead of trying to fix or solve it
Engaging in finger-pointing will not help us solve the problem. There was no shortage of finger-pointing among executives after the movie bombed at the box office.
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Recent Examples of finger-pointing
Speaker Mike Johnson tried to lead a moment of silence for Kirk, but what began as solemn reflection quickly dissolved into shouting and finger-pointing across the aisle.
—
Nik Popli, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
These behaviors become the organizational norm when senior leaders engage in finger-pointing, avoid difficult conversations, or fail to follow through on commitments.
—Tracy Lawrence, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
What unfolds is a finger-pointing game of Who’s Behaved Worse?
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Cellphone bill flop prompts finger-pointing Hall seized on the vote breakdown as an example of Democratic lawmakers out of step with Whitmer and out of touch with public support for cellphone restrictions at school.
—Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Nik Popli, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
These behaviors become the organizational norm when senior leaders engage in finger-pointing, avoid difficult conversations, or fail to follow through on commitments.
—Tracy Lawrence, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
What unfolds is a finger-pointing game of Who’s Behaved Worse?
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Cellphone bill flop prompts finger-pointing Hall seized on the vote breakdown as an example of Democratic lawmakers out of step with Whitmer and out of touch with public support for cellphone restrictions at school.
—Clara Hendrickson, Freep.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finger-pointing
Noun
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Now, the threat has crept further westward, with Poland reporting a swarm of up to 21 drones crossing from Belarus and Ukraine into Polish territory earlier this month and directing accusations toward Russia, which has denied responsibility.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
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Counter-accusations by other states deepen mistrust, leaving cooperative security arrangements elusive.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Xcel and plaintiffs’ attorneys announced the settlement Wednesday, just one day before the start of jury selection in a two-month civil trial to determine blame for the 2021 wildfire that killed two people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Boulder County.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
26 Sep. 2025
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Somehow, though, in the war of words, college students tend to get the blame.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In a wide-ranging interview in Doha, two weeks after surviving an Israeli air-strike on a Hamas compound in the Qatari capital, Ghazi Hamad highlighted growing international condemnation of Israel’s offensive in Gaza and the spate of countries who have recognized Palestinian statehood.—
Nadeen Ebrahim,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
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The announcement and the administration's claims have drawn widespread condemnation from medical experts and researchers.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Such comparisons are too easily drawn, with too much self-righteousness, as though the guilt for what was done to the Jews could be lightened just a little by likening them to their own murderers.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
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Not the president making those decisions, who has neither the education nor the experience to judge whether there are facts sufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt under a statute in this country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Mike Hallquist to make a motion for Seals's censure, which failed and was followed by cheering support by Seals' supporters.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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The House voted to table the resolution 214-213, preventing it from moving to debate and a vote on the underlying censure, effectively ending Mace’s effort to formally reprimand Omar and remove her from committees.—
Emily Brooks,
The Hill,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Finger-pointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finger-pointing. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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