seeking to shift the blame

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "seeking to shift the blame" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing attempts to avoid responsibility for a mistake or wrongdoing by attributing it to someone else. Example: "In the meeting, he was clearly seeking to shift the blame for the project's failure onto his team members."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

This week, industry officials, seeking to shift the blame for the energy shortage, began attacking lawmakers from farming states for backing production of ethanol as an alternative fuel.

The New York Times

"There are growing indications," Porter claimed, "that [McChrystal's] command is preparing to deal with the issue primarily by seeking to shift the blame to the Taliban through more and better propaganda operations and by using more high-tech drone intelligence aircraft to increase battlefield surveillance rather than by curbing the main direct cause of civilian casualties".

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

As in the past, Ms. Bresch sought to shift the blame for the EpiPen's price.

The New York Times

President Vladimir V. Putin, as any good Western politician would, now seeks to shift the blame to others.

The New York Times

Human rights activists have accused the police of excessive force, although the protesting officers sought to shift the blame to the government.

The New York Times

For Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, to seek to shift the blame entirely onto Congress last week is, at best, disingenuous.

The New York Times

Although poor generalship and harsh conditions were the main reasons for the loss, the Young Turk government sought to shift the blame to Armenian treachery.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"Why can't we brothers protect one another?/ Nobody's serious, and it makes me furious", sang Mayfield in the latter, a sentiment which sought to shift the blame for the situation onto a more overt political level.

Independent

That figure of 34 per cent is just about enough for those who seek to shift the blame for the national team's failings entirely on to the England manager to say that there are enough players for him to choose from.

Independent

Jeb Bush, reacting to Judge Hanen's ruling on his Facebook page (which serves as the principal communication vehicle for his nascent campaign), sought to shift the blame to Obama, accusing him of overstepping his authority and failing the leadership test.

The New Yorker

Ramzan Kadyrov, the new president of the restive southern region of Chechnya, condemned what he acknowledged was systemic torture but sought to shift the blame to federal security officers, not local Chechen ones.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "seeking to shift the blame", ensure the context clearly indicates who is attempting to shift the blame and to whom.

Common error

Avoid using "seeking to shift the blame" without concrete evidence or a clear indication of intent. Simply disagreeing with someone's assessment is not necessarily an attempt to shift blame.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "seeking to shift the blame" functions as a purpose connector, indicating the reason or intention behind someone's actions. It describes an active attempt to avoid accountability for a mistake or wrongdoing. Ludwig AI validates this usage through numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Encyclopedias

17%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "seeking to shift the blame" is a purpose connector used to express an attempt to evade responsibility. While grammatically correct and understandable, Ludwig AI indicates its usage is relatively rare. Predominantly found in news and media contexts, this phrase carries a neutral register and is used to highlight actions of evading accountability. For alternative expressions, consider phrases like "deflecting responsibility" or "passing the buck". When employing this phrase, ensure the context clearly identifies who is trying to shift the blame and to whom.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

attempting to pass the buck

Replaces "seeking to shift the blame" with a more colloquial idiom, emphasizing the act of transferring responsibility.

looking to pass responsibility on

Similar to "pass the buck", but more descriptive and less idiomatic.

trying to deflect responsibility

Focuses on the act of avoiding responsibility, rather than explicitly placing blame elsewhere.

striving to assign fault to others

Directly addresses the effort to attribute blame to someone else.

attempting to shuffle off responsibility

Suggests a clumsy or obvious attempt to get rid of responsibility.

endeavoring to evade culpability

A more formal alternative, highlighting the attempt to escape being found guilty.

seeking to evade ownership of the problem

Focuses on avoiding ownership of the problem that led to the blame.

aiming to redirect accountability

Emphasizes the intention to change where accountability lies.

maneuvering to transfer accountability

Highlights a calculated effort to shift accountability.

trying to whitewash the situation

Implies an attempt to conceal or gloss over the facts to avoid blame.

FAQs

How can I use "seeking to shift the blame" in a sentence?

You can use "seeking to shift the blame" to describe someone's attempt to avoid responsibility by attributing it to others. For example: "The company was "seeking to shift the blame" for the product's failure onto the manufacturing department".

What are some alternatives to "seeking to shift the blame"?

Alternatives include "deflecting responsibility", "passing the buck", or "evading culpability" depending on the desired level of formality.

Is "seeking to shift the blame" a formal or informal expression?

"Seeking to shift the blame" is suitable for neutral to formal contexts. More informal alternatives exist, such as "passing the buck".

What's the difference between "seeking to shift the blame" and "accepting responsibility"?

"Seeking to shift the blame" implies an attempt to avoid accountability, whereas "accepting responsibility" indicates a willingness to take ownership of a mistake or failure.