Throw Someone Under the Bus.
English
idiom
To betray or sacrifice someone for personal gain or protection.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To betray or sacrifice someone for personal gain or protection.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To blame or betray someone else — often unfairly — to protect yourself.
When you throw someone under the bus, you sacrifice their reputation or wellbeing to avoid consequences you should face.
It’s common in workplace and political contexts.
"Stab Someone in the Back"
—
Betray someone secretly, especially someone who trusted you
"Sell Someone Out"
—
Betray someone for personal gain or money
"Throw Someone Under the Bus"
—
Sacrifice someone else to protect or benefit yourself
Did you just throw me under the bus in front of the whole team? That wasn’t my decision.
You’re right — I should have taken responsibility. I’m sorry.
I can’t believe you threw me under the bus like that. I covered for you last time.
I panicked. I’m really sorry — it won’t happen again.
What happened with your group project?
One guy threw the whole team under the bus and told the professor we hadn’t done any work.
