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

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