How do you say “Throw someone under the bus” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is jemanden ans Messer liefern, which literally means “to deliver someone to the knife”. English speakers use throw someone under the bus to mean to blame or betray someone to protect yourself or get an advantage. The German phrase can sound more serious than blaming a colleague for a small mistake. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
jemanden ans Messer liefern
/ˈjeːmandn̩ ans ˈmɛsɐ ˈliːfɐn/
- Literal meaning
- “to deliver someone to the knife”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
85 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The knife image suggests serious betrayal. It fits risking a colleague's job to save your own, but may sound too strong for a minor disagreement.
For unfair blame, “zum Sündenbock machen” is closer. If someone merely withdraws their help, “im Stich lassen” describes the abandonment without adding blame.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context4 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in German?
jemanden zum Sündenbock machen
Literally: “to make someone the scapegoat”
Best when someone is unfairly made to carry the blame.
jemanden opfern
Literally: “to sacrifice someone”
A broad option when another person's interests are given up.
In context
English
He threw his colleague under the bus to save his own job.
German
Er lieferte seinen Kollegen ans Messer, um seine eigene Stelle zu retten.
English
Don't throw me under the bus; we made that decision together.
German
Mach mich nicht zum Sündenbock; wir haben das gemeinsam entschieden.
Related expressions
- What “Throw someone under the bus” means in English
- Leave someone high and dry, Leave someone stranded without support.
- Face the music, Accept unpleasant consequences for your actions
Last updated 2026-09-16