not my fault
I'm not responsible
A defensive phrase disclaiming responsibility for something that went wrong.
It shifts blame elsewhere—to circumstances, other people, or bad luck: The project failed, but it's not my fault they changed the requirements.
The phrase ranges from legitimate explanation to reflexive excuse-making, and frequent use suggests someone unwilling to accept accountability.
- blameAssign responsibility for wrongdoing
- pass the buckTransfer responsibility elsewhere
- excuseOffered reason for wrongdoing
- innocentFree from moral wrong
- blamelessFree of wrongdoing
shift the blame · scapegoat · deflect · plausible deniability · denial · responsible · guiltless · clean conscience · justify · defense · accident · mistake · pointing · shirk · alibi · wasn't me · shrug · dodge
- excusesexcuse, overslept, alibi, excuses, denial
- rationalizationsdenial, minimizing, deflection, sour grapes, victim blaming
- expressions of disassociationnone of my business, count me out, leave me out, denial, disclaimer
- accountabilityaccountability, responsibility, accountable, take responsibility, answerability
- innocenceinnocent, innocence, purity, pure, blameless
- denialsdisclaimer, disavowal, rejection, refusal, negation
not my faultmy fault
Admission of responsibility
mea culpa · guilty as charged · the buck stops here · I screwed up · I did it
not my faulttaking responsibility
owning up · accountability · coming clean · fessing up · stepping up
not, fault, knot, naught, nought, nothing, faulty, faultless, faultily