Question

in_the_loop_250 to make someone the scapegoat; to be blamed for something that was not one’s fault or was only partly one’s fault Compare to: leave (someone) in the lurch

Accepted Answer

GET CAUGHT/BE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG [LEAVE (SOMEONE) HOLDING THE BAG] The other team members left, Bill was left holding the bag, trying to explain a bad project.Christine helped Tim invent a scheme to cheat people out of their money and it went wrong. She left town and Tim got caught holding the bag. Leave someone in the lurch is usually applied more generally to any number of situations involving responsibility whereas leave someone holding the bag is usually applied to a situation involving theft in which one person is literally left holding (or caught with) the stolen goods.

Id	in_the_loop_250
Idiom	GET CAUGHT/BE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG [LEAVE (SOMEONE) HOLDING THE BAG]
Definition	to make someone the scapegoat; to be blamed for something that was not one’s fault or was only partly one’s fault
Examples	The other team members left, Bill was left holding the bag, trying to explain a bad project. Christine helped Tim invent a scheme to cheat people out of their money and it went wrong. She left town and Tim got caught holding the bag.
Cross-Refs	Compare to: leave (someone) in the lurch
Extra Info	Leave someone in the lurch is usually applied more generally to any number of situations involving responsibility whereas leave someone holding the bag is usually applied to a situation involving theft in which one person is literally left holding (or caught with) the stolen goods.

Holding Left Bag Leave One’s Fault Tim Caught