blame 1 of 2

verb

ˈblām How to pronounce blame (audio)
Definition of blamenext
as in to criticize
to express one's unfavorable opinion of the worth or quality of more concerned with pleasing audiences, the playwright has always claimed to be indifferent to whether critics praise his comedies or blame them without mercy

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

blame

2 of 2

noun

1
as in guilt
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure willingly accepted the blame for not seeing that the kitchen was properly cleaned

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in responsibility
the state of being held as the cause of something that needs to be set right blame for the school's poor performance in standardized tests was attributed to several factors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of blame
Verb
On Monday, Rama blamed outside forces for the violence, according to Reuters. — Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Both sides blame each other for bringing the city to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Noun
Daniels should’ve just thrown the ball away, but debate over the final play in overtime has brought up the coaching staff and the team as a whole deserving blame – not just the signal-caller. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 While Boeing callously deflects blame for their negligence, a family of one victim finds strength in gathering collective mourning. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for blame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blame
  1. criticize
  2. guilt
  3. responsibility
  4. fault
  5. condemn
  6. denounce
Verb
  • Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criticized the state's election officials for not cooperating with the department's demands.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
  • But others criticized the tactics used and family separations.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of criticize
Noun
  • Assane proclaims his innocence, but everything points to his guilt.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Maduro called the allegations false, while his wife, Cilia Flores, also denied guilt.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of guilt
Noun
  • No perpetrators have been publicly identified, and no claims of responsibility have been made public.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The carrier is expected to hold NATO command ship responsibilities until mid-2027, positioning it to lead a multinational naval force if activated during an international crisis.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of responsibility
Verb
  • They’re slammed for touting wrinkles, and they’re faulted for getting filler and a facelift.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Coaches and scouts suggested the young and wiry Martínez might never develop into a pitcher as successful as his brother Ramon, but Claire did not fault them.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of fault
Verb
  • The brazen, unmasked calls to erase Israel triggered fierce bipartisan backlash from lawmakers condemning the rising wave of open extremism.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • State election groups condemned the mailings, saying staff should not fear for their safety.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemn
Verb
  • Many fans sympathized with Clarkson’s shopping experience and took to social media to denounce the actions taken by the shop.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • If the main predictor of racial disparities in prison is poverty, then denouncing police and prosecutors as racist won't shrink those gaps.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of denounce

Browse Nearby Words

blamable
blame
blamed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blame. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All