take the heat

present singular third person takes the heat · participle present taking the heat · past took the heat · participle past taken the heat

1. informalTo take the blame; to be the focus of anger or scrutiny; to take the consequences.

   If this decision turns out to be a bad one, I'll take the heat for it.

   2 more examples

   For entirely self-serving reasons, ministers and civil servants never dispelled the public belief that uncaring 'fat cat' privateers or foreign state railways were in control, ramping up fares and creaming off profits which either enriched shareholders or subsidised European rail fares. DfT left train operators to 'take the heat' - which they dutifully did, fearful of speaking up and 'biting the hand that feeds'.

   2020 September 23, Nigel Harris, “Comment: We MUST seize the moment”, in Rail, page 3

   Despite hopes that the story would dissipate over the August recess, the White House is preparing for Trump to take more heat from Republicans in the weeks ahead.

   2025 August 7, Jonathan Lemire, “Things Aren’t Going Donald Trump’s Way”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 09 Sep 2025

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see take, heat.

   I can take the heat, baby, best believe That's the moment I shine

   2023 May 25, Dua Lipa, Caroline Ailin, Andrew Wyatt, Mark Ronson, “Dance the Night”, in Barbie the Album, performed by Dua Lipa