put the finger on

verb

Synonym of finger (“to report to or identify for the authorities; to inform on”)

Similar
finger
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Meanings

verbput the finger on (third-person singular simple present puts the finger on, present participle putting the finger on, simple past and past participle put the finger on)

present singular third person puts the finger on · participle present putting the finger on

  1. idiomaticSynonym of finger (“to report to or identify for the authorities; to inform on”)

    "And for God's sake watch out. And I mean it. The Big Man'll get you if he possibly can and a police escort to the train would only put the finger on you. Take a cab and keep out of sight."

    1954, Ian Fleming, “True or False?”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 0

    Synonyms: finger

Synonyms & antonyms

verbSynonym of finger (“to report to or identify for the authorities; to inform on”)

Similar
finger
Also see
fingerrat
Cite this entry
APA

put the finger on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20the%20finger%20on

MLA

“put the finger on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20the%20finger%20on. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put the finger on,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20the%20finger%20on.

Source: put the finger on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.