: to become angry at someone who has given one bad news
Examples of blame/shoot the messenger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Share good news promptly, celebrate milestones, and connect the dots with employees to the overall vision
Don’t shoot the messenger; foster a culture where bad news is delivered promptly, not sugar-coated, and is rewarded.—Dr. Richard Osibanjo, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025 When a mistake is identified, the approach should be to prevent the mistake rather than shoot the messenger, which can lead to cover-ups.—Buyan Thyagarajan, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024 In short: don’t shoot the messenger; listen to the message.—Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2018 And even when the agency’s predictions are right, folks often want to blame the messenger.—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 9 May 2024 Mark Kelly China’s economy is struggling, and the Communist Party’s response is to shoot the messenger.—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 Aug. 2023 Don’t dwell on the manner in which the breakup was delivered, and don’t shoot the messenger.—Meredith Goldstein, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Aug. 2023 But, in general—and, don’t shoot the messenger—many agree that cooking with charcoal tastes better, but cooking with gas is more convenient (albeit far more expensive).—Mike Richard, menshealth.com, 19 Apr. 2023 Please, even if Burrow struck you as being a bit cavalier, don’t shoot the messenger.—Jarrett Bell, The Enquirer, 7 Oct. 2022
Share