🗓️ Idiom: Throw someone Under the Bus (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To betray or sacrifice someone else to protect yourself.
- To blame another person to avoid responsibility or punishment.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The manager threw his colleague under the bus to save his own job.
- She felt betrayed when her teammate threw her under the bus during the meeting.
- Good leaders take responsibility instead of throwing others under the bus.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom became popular in the United States in the late 20th century. It paints a strong picture of someone being pushed into danger (under a bus) for another person’s benefit. It is often used in political and workplace contexts to describe betrayal.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
He was angry that his coworker had ________ him under the bus during the presentation.
Answer
thrown
2. Choose the correct meaning of “throw someone under the bus”:
a) To help someone in a difficult situation
b) To betray or blame someone else to protect yourself
c) To give someone extra work
Answer
b) To betray or blame someone else to protect yourself
3. Change the sentence using “throw someone under the bus”:
“The supervisor blamed his assistant to avoid getting into trouble.”
Answer
The supervisor threw his assistant under the bus.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Business English Idioms List
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