point the finger at someone

point the finger at (one)

To indicate that one is guilty of (doing) something; to blame or accuse one of (doing) something. She'll say that she doesn't blame anyone, but I know that, in her heart, she points the finger at me. Now, I'm not pointing the finger at anyone in particular, but someone here has been stealing food from the communal refrigerator.
See also: finger, point
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

point the finger at someone

COMMON If you point the finger at someone, you blame them for a mistake they have made or accuse them of doing something wrong. Nobody can point the finger at us for doing anything we shouldn't have. Note: You can also say, for example, that you point the finger of blame or the finger of suspicion at someone. It would be easy to point the finger of blame at individuals. Note: When people blame or accuse each other in this way, you can refer to this as finger-pointing. Whether or not the investigation succeeds, it is bound to lead to finger-pointing and backbiting.
See also: finger, point, someone
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • point a/the finger
  • point the finger
  • point the finger at
  • point the finger at (one)
  • place the blame for (something) on (someone or something)
  • place the blame on (someone or something) for (something)
  • be left holding the baby
  • place the blame on
  • place the blame on (someone or something)
  • put the blame on (someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
I suppose it takes having experience of enduring a diabolical window to point the finger at someone else - although Stubbs has never once held his hands up and admitted his part in last season's mess - despite choosing Nicolai Brock Madsen over Greg Stewart, and the rest.
When you make a mistake, you've got options: You can point the finger at someone else, you can pretend nothing bad happened or you can own up to it.
That leaves the manager needing to point the finger at someone for either his, or his team's, inability to put the ball in the net at one end and keep it out at the other.
The FBI is 75% certain that Al-Sakar is behind the attack, but Kirkman wants to only point the finger at someone they are 100% sure planned the attack.
Sligo caretaker boss "It's easy to be critical of the board and point the finger at someone else but we have to look at ourselves and the fans have to look at themselves - I think they can do better.
If I made a change, it wouldn't be to point the finger at someone.
It is also important I take ownership of my swimming, so if things don't go to plan I don't stand and point the finger at someone else for my own shortcomings.
To point the finger at someone or something so it does not point at us.
Two guys are dumb enough to be convinced to rob a mobster-run poker game and think it will be foolproof because a previous attempt would point the finger at someone else.
"It will be strange to finally point the finger at someone.
That car drivers are hit like "cash cows" is a typical response to point the finger at someone else.
"Point the finger at someone and then have a laugh about it afterwards - that's the way it should be.
"We can look at every goal and point the finger at someone and I can analyse it and say this and that but there were times when we looked soft," McLeish added.
"So if there's a problem, they can't point the finger at someone else."
These two deserve each other: But as my mother used to say, When you point the finger at someone, there are three pointing back at you.