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put the finger on

Idioms  
  1. Inform on, as in The witness put the finger on the defendant. [Slang; c. 1920] Also see put one's finger on.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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"It is hard to put the finger on," he replied to an opening question, like a mechanic mystified by a misfiring car engine.

From BBC Nov. 6, 2022

On removing this some weeks later, he discovered he had put the finger on the wrong way round.

From The Guardian Jul. 11, 2019

“Don’t put the finger on me, because that’s what you’re doing.”

From New York Times Jan. 21, 2018

“At any moment he is going to put the finger on you,” she wrote.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 18, 2016

But O, sovereign wisdom of bywords! how true they put the finger on each nation's, or particular's, fault.

From The Cloister and the Hearth by Reade, Charles

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