shoot the messenger

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English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Verb

shoot the messenger (third-person singular simple present shoots the messenger, present participle shooting the messenger, simple past and past participle shot the messenger)

  1. (idiomatic) To blame a problem on whoever reported it; to hold somebody accountable for a problem because they brought attention to it.
    I know you won't like this news, but please don't shoot the messenger.

Derived terms