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
Community organizer Rae Huang, who is challenging Bass from the left, has offered her own critique, saying the mayor has engaged in too much finger-pointing.
—
Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The house that Lamar Hunt built will come crumbling down, 50-some years of memories along with it, the bill for its demolition sent to Jackson County, Missouri, where the first stage of grief is apparently finger-pointing at how anyone could let such a thing happen.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
The recurrence of such incidents has led to finger-pointing among local officials and ongoing investigations into jail conditions and protocols.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
While there’s plenty of finger-pointing to go around, a growing reliance on a handful of major internet infrastructure companies has led to major disruptions, sparking everything from political pressure to computer science memes.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
The house that Lamar Hunt built will come crumbling down, 50-some years of memories along with it, the bill for its demolition sent to Jackson County, Missouri, where the first stage of grief is apparently finger-pointing at how anyone could let such a thing happen.
—Sam McDowell 23, Kansas City Star, 23 Dec. 2025
The recurrence of such incidents has led to finger-pointing among local officials and ongoing investigations into jail conditions and protocols.
—Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
While there’s plenty of finger-pointing to go around, a growing reliance on a handful of major internet infrastructure companies has led to major disruptions, sparking everything from political pressure to computer science memes.
—Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 23 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finger-pointing
Noun
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Bovino’s accusations against Pretti were rooted in Pretti being armed at the time he was shot.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The bloc has also been scrutinizing X over accusations that Grok generated antisemitic material and has asked the site for more information.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Israel and Hamas have traded blame over the violations of the deal.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
11 Jan. 2026
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On the five-year anniversary this week, the White House launched a web page casting blame on Democrats, then-Vice President Mike Pence, and Capitol Police for the violence that transpired that day.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The arrest of journalists on charges related to doing their job has drawn widespread outrage and condemnation from free press and free speech advocacy groups, as well as several politicians.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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Russia's daily bombardment of civilian areas behind the roughly 600-mile front line has continued despite international condemnation and attempts to end the fighting.—
AAMER MADHANI AND SUSIE BLANN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Advertisement Because women are socialized to be responsible, empathetic, and attuned to others’ needs, deciding to leave can result in feelings of guilt and shame.—
Oona Metz,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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Depression symptoms include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, guilt or irritability, as well as loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hegseth’s recent censure of Kelly accuses him of Conduct Unbecoming An Officer and Violating Good Order And Discipline (less serious parts of the UCMJ and more open to interpretation).—
Michael Szalma,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Jan. 2026
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Hegseth this week backed off that losing proposition and instead issued a censure for Kelly and started a process to demote him in retirement, which would reduce his pension.—
Chris Brennan,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Finger-pointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finger-pointing. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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