finger-pointing

noun

Definition of finger-pointingnext
as in accusation
the act of blaming someone for a problem instead of trying to fix or solve it Engaging in finger-pointing will not help us solve the problem. There was no shortage of finger-pointing among executives after the movie bombed at the box office.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of finger-pointing Vitello was face-to-face with Porter, a screaming match complete with curse words and finger-pointing. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2026 The leaking and finger-pointing on Iran by MAGA disloyalists have begun. — Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 After years of planning and wrangling, after more than $10 million spent on engineers, and lawyers, and architects; after all of the rumors, and headlines, and finger-pointing, the big presentation was ready to be made. — Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026 The company accused Lineage of finger-pointing instead of focusing on community relief. — Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for finger-pointing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for finger-pointing
  1. accusation
  2. blame
  3. condemnation
  4. guilt
  5. censure
Noun
  • Israel, which has refused to cooperate with the commission since it was established in 2021, has strenuously denied the accusations.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Greep — who eventually came to the stage an hour later than scheduled, and without his backing band — addressed the accusation on the flyers to begin the Vancouver show.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of accusation
Noun
  • Israel’s agencies and transportation minister have traded blame over who was responsible for screening the flight, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a review of aviation security.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Whether blame should be apportioned to Darden, private equity, or hedge funds, Red Lobster is still dealing with the repercussions of the deal.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of blame
Noun
  • The film is admirably committed to documenting this lifestyle without much idealization or condemnation.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The comments drew swift condemnation from California leaders, even as the White House communications director, Steven Cheung, insisted the president’s remarks had been taken out of context.
    — Ana Ceballos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of condemnation
Noun
  • Nacer is quite good at variations of patriarchal obliviousness, and Pebdani suffuses her women with streaks of guilt.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Men brought in from outside are coached to act out romances with her again and again, performing love, regret and guilt while their tears are gathered.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of guilt
Noun
  • The board is also expected to consider whether to launch an investigation into the allegations and consider a censure vote.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Once rare, censures and expulsions have become more common, particularly in the House.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of censure

Browse Nearby Words

finger paintings
finger-pointing
fingerprint
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Cite this Entry

“Finger-pointing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/finger-pointing. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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