pass the buck
/ˌpɑːs ðə ˈbʌk/INFORMAL · C1
Meaning
to make someone else deal with your responsibility
Examples
- 1The council passed the buck to the water company, and nothing was repaired.
- 2Good managers do not pass the buck when a project goes wrong.
- 3Every department passed the buck until the complaint was two months old.
- 4Stop passing the buck and tell me who approved the order.
- 5Was he passing the buck, or did he genuinely not know?
Grammar
Only pass changes form. Keep the buck fixed and singular; the person it is passed to follows to.
Similar in meaning
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English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
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