blame shift
Pass the buck
Blame shift is the act of deflecting responsibility for a mistake or wrongdoing onto someone else.
The maneuver redirects attention away from the actual culprit: When the project failed, management tried to blame shift onto the contractors.
Often appears as a verb phrase (blame-shift) or noun (blame-shifting).
- deflectTurn from course
- point fingersAttribute blame to others
- scapegoatUnfairly blamed person
- denyRefuse to admit
- excuseOffered reason for wrongdoing
not my fault · finger-pointing · dodge · duck and cover · evade · guilt · gaslight · projection · responsibility · accuse · divert · sidestep · weasel · cop-out · rationalize · manipulate · mental gymnastics · victim
- accountabilityaccountability, responsibility, accountable, take responsibility, answerability
- shift wordsswitching, transitioning
- damage controlapology, retraction, press release, statement, spin
blame shifttake responsibility
Accept fault for outcomes
own up · self-blame · mea culpa · take the fall · accountability
blame shiftintegrity
Moral soundness and consistency
honesty · moral courage · honor · forthrightness · transparency
blame, shift, blames, blamed, blaming, blameless, blamable, blameable, blameworthy