Pass the Buck.
English
idiom
Avoid responsibility or blame by shifting it to someone else.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Avoid responsibility or blame by shifting it to someone else.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To push a job or a problem onto someone else to dodge the blame.
When you pass the buck, you refuse to own it and hand it on.
It points to ducking responsibility on purpose.
"Dodge the Bullet"
—
Narrowly avoiding a bad situation — not about transferring responsibility to others
"Throw Someone Under the Bus"
—
Deliberately blaming someone else to protect yourself — more aggressive and targeted
"Pass the Buck"
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Transferring blame or responsibility to someone else to avoid accountability
They keep passing the buck between departments — nobody is taking ownership.
That stops today. Someone will be accountable.
Did she take responsibility for what happened?
Not at all — she passed the buck. Classic.
Who's actually responsible for the mess?
Nobody will say — they're all just passing the buck.
