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
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
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Recent Examples of blame
Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Federal and local officials again were angrily divided over who was to blame.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Dane Brugler, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Towns, of course, is not without blame.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blame
Verb
Like those former coaches, plenty of other people blamed Payton for not taking the field goal, especially with the potential of snow and wind in the forecast.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
Federal and local officials again were angrily divided over who was to blame.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
There is plenty of blame to go around for Oregon’s lopsided loss, but the spotlight always shines on the quarterback.
—Dane Brugler, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
Towns, of course, is not without blame.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for blame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blame
Verb
-
No less than a half-dozen GOP senators publicly criticized the Department of Justice for investigating Powell over Hill testimony last year about the Fed headquarters’ renovation.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Last week, Graham Knaus, the chief executive of the California State Association of Counties, criticized Newsom’s budget for not responding to the cost burdens shifting to local governments.—
Andrew Graham,
Sacbee.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Because women are socialized to be responsible, empathetic, and attuned to others’ needs, deciding to leave can result in feelings of guilt and shame.—
Oona Metz,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Depression symptoms include feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, guilt or irritability, as well as loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The sweeps, in addition to crowd-management responsibilities, are typically dealt with by local police, who often have more experience and training in de-escalating large demonstrations and tamping down civil unrest.—
Anna Schecter,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Glenn initially planned to keep Engstrand on staff while reducing his responsibilities, including stripping him of play-calling duties.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
And while criticism of insurance companies was bipartisan, Republicans and Democrats also blamed one another for the crisis, with the GOP faulting Obamacare and Democrats accusing Republicans of using the hearings to deflect from their own inaction to address rising premiums.—
Berkeley Lovelace Jr,
NBC news,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Reitz faulted Roy for calling for Paxton’s removal during the 2020 whistleblower scandal and backing his impeachment by the Texas House for alleged misconduct.—
From Staff Reports,
Dallas Morning News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
He was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at the woman's suburban Houston apartment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Jan. 2026
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Charles Victor Thompson was condemned for the April 1998 shooting deaths of his ex-girlfriend, Glenda Dennise Hayslip, 39, and her new boyfriend, Darren Keith Cain, 30, at her apartment in the Houston suburb of Tomball.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The most bitter exchange came when Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, denounced Rubio’s role in gutting humanitarian aid.—
Dexter Filkins,
New Yorker,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Trump has repeatedly denounced Powell for alleged overspending tied to the central bank's renovation.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blame. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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