# be to blame for sth

idiom · CEFR B2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/be-to-blame-for-sth
Updated: 2026-04-22

## Meaning

to be the person or thing that caused something bad to happen.

## Examples

- I think the heavy rain is to blame for the traffic.
- The manager realized that poor communication was to blame for the project failing to meet its deadline.
- While the company initially claimed a technical glitch was to blame for the data breach, an independent investigation later revealed that human error had played a significant role.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.