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
Right now, there’s too much finger-pointing and not enough ownership.
—
Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 2026
There has been plenty of teeth gnashing and finger-pointing in those big-city baseball markets.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 2 May 2026
The space is crowded with pending and settled lawsuits, intercorporate finger-pointing, and complex domestic and international legal concerns.
—ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Lawmakers used their speeches to condemn growing antisemitism in the country and honor a Nuremberg trials prosecutor with the Congressional Gold Medal, avoiding partisan finger-pointing.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 4 May 2026
There has been plenty of teeth gnashing and finger-pointing in those big-city baseball markets.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 2 May 2026
The space is crowded with pending and settled lawsuits, intercorporate finger-pointing, and complex domestic and international legal concerns.
—ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Lawmakers used their speeches to condemn growing antisemitism in the country and honor a Nuremberg trials prosecutor with the Congressional Gold Medal, avoiding partisan finger-pointing.
—Sydney Topf, The Washington Examiner, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finger-pointing
Noun
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In January 2010, Mayorga reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo’s lawyers — the footballer was not present at mediation — and received $375,000 in return for agreeing never to go public with the accusations, and for the settlement not to be viewed as an admission of guilt.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Hoiby, 29, had pleaded not guilty to the most severe accusations against him, including those of rape, while admitting to some lesser ones, and can appeal the verdict.—
Reuters,
CNN Money,
15 June 2026
Noun
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Fans split over who carries the blame, from the fighter and his team to the commission and the promotion.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
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Sellers place a lot of blame on Sundance’s online platform, but a major factor is streamers became primary buyers of Sundance films — and then the streamers opted out of compression and bet on ubiquity.—
Dana Harris-Bridson,
IndieWire,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Kyiv cast the attack as revenge for strikes on a historic monastery that had drawn global condemnation.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
-
And over time, as politicians and religious leaders have pushed for the regulation and public condemnation of those who practice BDSM, people have formed communities to support one another and create spaces for pleasure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Noun
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Rather than adjudicating guilt, the filmmakers opted to leave the question of truth open to viewers.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
21 June 2026
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But moral injury, formidable as the idea is, doesn’t apply to Odysseus, who suffers from neither shame nor guilt.—
David Denby,
New Yorker,
21 June 2026
Noun
-
The House’s periodic descent into politically motivated censure votes, however, could propel them to make a change next year.—
Nicholas Wu,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
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In 2024, the SAIC risked sanctions or censure from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a leading nonprofit organization that advocates for academic freedom, over its response to student activism.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finger-pointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finger-pointing. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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