throw under a bus

A form of throw under the bus — To betray or blame (something or someone); to deliberately put (something or someone) in an unfavorable situation and then leave to their fate; to make (something or someone) into a scapegoat or otherwise abandon for personal gain.

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Meanings

verbthrow under a bus (third-person singular simple present throws under a bus, present participle throwing under a bus, simple past threw under a bus, past participle thrown under a bus)

present singular third person throws under a bus · participle present throwing under a bus · past threw under a bus · participle past thrown under a bus

  1. alternativeAlternative form of throw under the bus.

    Met PC barred over Wayne Couzens inquiry says she’s been ‘thrown under a bus’ [title]

    2023 May 26, Emine Sinmaz, “Met PC barred over Wayne Couzens inquiry says she’s been ‘thrown under a bus’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
    1 more example

    Rebekah Vardy has been accused of throwing her former agent and friend “under a bus” in a last-ditch attempt to save her reputation in the “Wagatha Christie” libel trial.

    2022 May 12, Jim Waterson, Jim Waterson, “‘Wagatha Christie’ trial: Rebekah Vardy accused of throwing friend ‘under bus’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
Cite this entry
APA

throw under a bus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20under%20a%20bus

MLA

“throw under a bus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20under%20a%20bus. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw under a bus,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20under%20a%20bus.

Source: throw under a bus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.