finger-pointing

noun

Definition of finger-pointingnext
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.

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar 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 finger-pointing Below the surface, there is a lot of contemptuous finger-pointing about where the anti-AI energy now coursing through the political-media landscape is coming from. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 16 Sep. 2026 Most of all, that sort of finger-pointing is where this mayor has fallen so short during his time in office. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 Vitello was face-to-face with Porter, a screaming match complete with curse words and finger-pointing. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2026 The leaking and finger-pointing on Iran by MAGA disloyalists have begun. — Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finger-pointing
  1. accusation
  2. blame
  3. condemnation
  4. guilt
  5. censure
Noun
  • El-Sayed, an American of Egyptian descent who would be the first Muslim senator if elected, has rankled at the GOP accusations, including in a recent TV interview.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In a letter to Powell Friday, Escobar’s attorney, Delia Ibarra, demanded that Powell stop repeating the accusation and withdraw his complaint.
    — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of accusation
Noun
  • However, desperate to enjoy all the benefits of her unconventional and self-serving situation, without shouldering any of the blame, Uta proposes that Morio be the donor for Junna’s child, and that all three of them move in together.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • On message boards and on call-in shows, Lewis, who turned 19 late last month, has shouldered much of the blame.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • Trump’s move drew bipartisan condemnation from lawmakers who backed the measure overwhelmingly.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Netanyahu has criticized the violence but has taken few steps to crack down on incidents that have drawn international condemnation and sanction plans by longtime Israeli allies, including Britain.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Noun
  • Assane proclaims his innocence, but everything points to his guilt.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Maduro called the allegations false, while his wife, Cilia Flores, also denied guilt.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of guilt
Noun
  • Football—besides being one of our more ubiquitous and unrestrained national entertainments—has also become one of the rare arenas in American life where highly specialized language can flourish without censure.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The board is also expected to consider whether to launch an investigation into the allegations and consider a censure vote.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of censure

Browse Nearby Words

finger paintings
finger-pointing
fingerprint
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Finger-pointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finger-pointing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of fervid

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All