Pass the Buck.
English
idiom
Avoid responsibility or blame by shifting it to someone else.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Avoid responsibility or blame by shifting it to someone else.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To shift the responsibility for something to someone else, especially to avoid blame.
When you pass the buck, you refuse to take ownership and redirect the problem to another person.
It implies deliberate avoidance of accountability.
"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"
—
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.
