pass the buck
pass the buck — idiom
1. to avoid dealing with a problem or mistake yourself by getting someone else to t
to avoid dealing with a problem or mistake yourself by getting someone else to take the blame or handle it instead
When the audit revealed the missing funds, Diego passed the buck to the accounting team.
pass + the buck + to + [person/group]
Instead of solving the problem, Anika's boss passed the buck to the customer service team.
Kofi got tired of his team passing the buck when the client asked tough questions.
Stop passing the buck — you made the decision, so you should face the consequences.
- shift the blame
more literal and slightly more formal; focuses on blame rather than responsibility
- shirk responsibility
more formal; implies avoiding a duty rather than passing it to someone specific
- avoid accountability
formal register; used in business and legal contexts
- take responsibility
direct opposite; means accepting rather than avoiding blame or duty
- face the music
idiom of similar register; means accepting the consequences of one's actions
- own up
informal; means admitting one's mistake
文法句型
pass the buck to [someone]
pass the buck
用法筆記
Always used idiomatically as a fixed phrase. The recipient of the responsibility is introduced by the preposition 'to'. Common in workplace, political, and organisational contexts. Often used to criticise someone for avoiding accountability.