Idiom
pass the buck
Meanings
To shift responsibility or blame to another person instead of handling it yourself.
Definition
To pass the buck means to shift responsibility or blame to someone else.
To pass the buck is to avoid taking responsibility for a problem, decision, or mistake by making another person deal with it. It often suggests unfairness or a lack of accountability. People use it in workplaces, politics, and everyday situations when no one wants to be blamed.
Examples
- When the project failed, the manager tried to pass the buck to the interns.
- I’m not going to pass the buck—this was my decision.
- Stop trying to pass the buck and tell the customer what went wrong.
- In politics, it’s easy to pass the buck when things get difficult.
More at C1 level
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More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share a quick update or confirm plans.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to tease someone or make fun of them in a not-too-serious way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something important that you were responsibl…
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a friendly, informal chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of your actions or a difficult situation.