Throw Someone Under The Bus

Pronunciation: /θroʊ ˈsʌmwʌn ˈʌndər ðə bʌs/

Definitions of throw someone under the bus

verb to betray someone or blame them for something, especially to avoid blame or punishment oneself

Example Sentences

A1 She threw her friend under the bus by blaming him for the mistake.

A2 The manager threw the intern under the bus for the project's failure.

B1 The politician tried to throw his opponent under the bus during the debate.

B2 The CEO threw the marketing team under the bus when the sales numbers were low.

C1 The company chairman threw the CFO under the bus to save his own reputation.

C2 The celebrity's publicist threw the paparazzi under the bus to protect their client's image.

Examples of throw someone under the bus in a Sentence

formal The manager decided to throw someone under the bus to shift blame away from the team.

informal I can't believe he threw me under the bus like that!

slang She always throws people under the bus to make herself look better.

figurative Don't trust him, he will not hesitate to throw you under the bus if it benefits him.

Grammatical Forms of throw someone under the bus

• past tense: threw
• plural: throw
• comparative: more thrown
• superlative: most thrown
• present tense: throws
• future tense: will throw
• perfect tense: has thrown
• continuous tense: is throwing
• singular: throws
• positive degree: thrown
• infinitive: to throw
• gerund: throwing
• participle: thrown

Origin and Evolution of throw someone under the bus

First Known Use: 1986 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The origin of the phrase 'throw someone under the bus' is believed to be rooted in American slang and idiomatic language.

Evolution of the word: Originally used in a literal sense to describe physically throwing someone under a bus, the phrase has evolved to figuratively mean betraying or sacrificing someone for one's own benefit or to avoid blame.