pass the buck
Meaning
To shift responsibility or blame to someone else instead of dealing with it yourself.
Origin
From 19th‑century American poker: a marker (often a buckhorn-handled knife, “the buck”) indicated the dealer. To “pass the buck” was to pass the dealer marker, and by extension to pass on responsibility.
Notes
Usually negative and accusatory, implying cowardice or avoidance of duty. Common in workplace or everyday talk; saying it directly to someone can sound confrontational.
Examples
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When the project failed, the manager tried to pass the buck to the interns.
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Stop passing the buck and take responsibility for the mistake.
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The customer support agent passed the buck to another department instead of solving the issue.
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In politics, it’s easy to pass the buck when a policy backfires.
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If we keep passing the buck, nothing will get fixed.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed form: “pass the buck” (often “pass the buck to + person”). Verb inflects (passed/passing). Can be used as gerund or noun phrase (“buck-passing”).
Synonyms
- shift the blame
- pass the blame
- buck-pass
- offload responsibility
- pawn it off
Antonyms
- take responsibility
- own up (to it)
- accept accountability
- face the music