shift the damage

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "shift the damage" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where responsibility or consequences are being transferred from one party to another. Example: "In an effort to minimize losses, the company decided to shift the damage caused by the faulty product onto the manufacturer."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Microstructural changes triggered by the different heat treatments also shift the damage mechanisms from internal crack initiation to initiation at the surface.

International Journal of Fatigue

They mostly just shift the damage somewhere else.

Huffington Post

Broken windows, administered through over-reliance on arrest, will simply shift the damage to a broader swath of residents in the same handful of communities.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

But to their surprise, the engineers also found an added bonus: Driving backward was actually reducing the total amount of damage, not just shifting the damage from the front to the back wheels.

Los Angeles Times

I must say that, given the assignment, I can understand why he went into the CNN studio Friday looking for a way to shift the conversation away from the damage the invitation is doing to the US-Israel relationship.

Huffington Post

In a model where ROS mediate life-history tradeoffs, elevated oxidative damage would shift the allocation of available resources among these tasks.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

The dramatic response to chemotherapy suggests that the DNA damage can shift the balance to highly effective apoptosis, using the mechanisms that are still partially in place linked to the AID activity that is on-going, albeit at a lower level than is present in DLBCL [ 206, 211].

BMC Cancer

Our studies add to the emerging body of literature that supports the view that preconditioning triggers metabolic reprogramming by inducing the expression of proteins involved in the supply and demand pathways of metabolism, thus shifting the threshold where damage will occur.

ASN Neuro

(Once the rock falls below a certain temperature, the atoms in a crystal aren't able to shift and heal the damage).

Science Magazine

If you inflict enough damage, you've shifted the planet into a whole new state and the damage spirals out of control".

Vice

Gans noted, too, that after a time — usually no more than a few days — the emphasis in the reporting of a disaster shifts from the damage caused to the restoration of order.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "shift the damage", consider whether you're truly moving the impact or merely mitigating it. Ensure your phrasing accurately reflects the intended meaning.

Common error

Avoid using "shift the damage" when the damage is actually being reduced or eliminated. "Mitigate the damage" or "repair the damage" would be more appropriate in those cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "shift the damage" functions as a verb phrase, typically used to describe the action of transferring the negative consequences or impact of something from one entity or location to another. Ludwig examples illustrate this usage in contexts ranging from microstructural changes to environmental concerns.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

66%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "shift the damage" describes the act of transferring negative consequences from one entity to another. As indicated by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and understandable, although relatively rare in occurrence. It appears in both scientific and news contexts, indicating a neutral register. When writing, remember that alternatives like "transfer the damage" or "mitigate the damage" might be more appropriate depending on whether the damage is actually being moved or lessened. Overall, "shift the damage" is a useful phrase for describing the reallocation of negative impacts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

transfer the damage

Replaces "shift" with "transfer", emphasizing the act of moving the damage.

redistribute the damage

Focuses on spreading the damage across different areas or entities.

mitigate the damage

Emphasizes reducing the impact of the damage, rather than moving it.

relocate the damage

Similar to "shift", but specifically refers to moving the physical location of the damage.

pass on the consequences

Focuses on transferring the negative outcomes of an event or action.

divert the damage

Highlights the act of changing the course of damage to affect something else.

reassign the damage

Implies a formal or deliberate act of giving responsibility for the damage to someone else.

deflect the damage

Suggests avoiding the damage by causing it to go in another direction.

displace the damage

Emphasizes moving the damage from its original location or target.

redirect the damage

Similar to "divert", but implies a change in direction to a specific new target.

FAQs

How can I use "shift the damage" in a sentence?

You can use "shift the damage" to describe transferring the negative consequences of an action or event to another party or area. For example, "The company tried to "shift the damage" caused by the oil spill onto the cleanup contractors".

What's a good alternative to "shift the damage"?

Depending on the context, alternatives to "shift the damage" include "transfer the damage", "redistribute the damage", or "pass on the consequences".

Is it more accurate to "shift the damage" or "mitigate the damage"?

"Shift the damage" implies moving the negative impact elsewhere, while "mitigate the damage" means reducing its severity. The correct choice depends on whether the damage is being moved or lessened.

What is the difference between "shift the damage" and "transfer the blame"?

"Shift the damage" refers to moving the negative consequences, while "shift the blame" focuses specifically on assigning responsibility for a wrongdoing. You "shift the damage" of an earthquake; you "shift the blame" for a mistake.