From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshift the blame/responsibility (onto somebody)shift the blame/responsibility (onto somebody)RESPONSIBLEto make someone else responsible for something, especially for something bad that has happened It was a clear attempt to shift the responsibility for the crime onto the victim. → shift
Examples from the Corpus
shift the blame/responsibility (onto somebody)• In other words that they were shifting the blame.• Penney also shifted the responsibilities and titles of several other executives in different regions.• He had to shift the blame, find a sacrificial victim.• Her comments on Radio Derby came as Tories tried to shift the blame for Britain's economic ills elsewhere.• Time after time, ministers have tried to shift the blame for rising unemployment to the down-turn in the world economy.• It shifts the blame to belief.• A third means of avoiding responsibility consists of shifting the blame to even higher officials.• Leaving the abusive marriage, or divorcing him, will be branded desertion or a sin, shifting the blame to her. 