finger-point

• finger point, fingerpoint

finger-point (third-person singular simple present finger-points, present participle finger-pointing, simple past and past participle finger-pointed)

1. To point with a finger (at someone or something).
   • 1975, Eleanor Frances Brown, “Case Studies”, in Bibliotherapy and Its Widening Applications, Metuchen, N.J.: The Scarecrow Press, →ISBN, page 374:

     He was encouraged to finger-point at words while reading.

   • 1979 January 5, Betty Cuniberti, “Ernest Graham”, in The Washington Post‎, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2025:

     Last Wednesday, Graham and George Washington’s Tom Tate almost came to blows after a finger-pointing episode. Graham does not finger-point to show for fans. He does it because it comes to mind in the natural flow of the game, as it comes to every player’s mind.

   • 2001, Jorge Reyes, “Fidel”, in Rediscovering Cuba: A Personal Memoir, Lincoln, Neb.: Writers Club Press, →ISBN, page 69:

     At times, he looked at the gulf of dark heads looking up at him as if to a god. At times, he finger-pointed at the horizon, to the enemy that existed anywhere out there, somewhere.

   • 2018 July 16, Michael Bloomer, “Peter Strzok’s hearing made everyone look bad”, in The Washington Post‎, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2018:

     Mr. Strzok smirked as the joint committee members fought one another, yelled for points of order or parliamentary inquiries, talked over one another and finger-pointed.

2. (informal, figuratively) To assign blame (to) or accuse (someone or something).
   • 1993 June 17, Beverly Beyette, “In Your (Celebrity) Dreams”, in Los Angeles Times‎, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2025:

     As the family crumbles, society finger-points: “First, it was teachers and schools; it must be their fault. Then single mothers; it must be their fault. Now, we’re moving on to fathers,” Louv writes.

   • 2002 September 26, Carl Hulse, Todd S Purdum, “Daschle Defends Democrats’ Stand on Security”, in The New York Times‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 19 November 2018:

     The spokesman for the White House, Ari Fleischer, said it was “time for everybody concerned to take a deep breath, to stop finger-pointing and to work well together.”

   • 2003 August 7, Susan Carpenter, “More glamour, dish from the ‘Sex’-y gal”, in Los Angeles Times‎, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2025:

     The rumor that the four “Sex and the City” girls were really four gay men was merely urban legend, she said, and finger-pointed conservative author Ann Coulter as its source.

   • 2014 October 31, Jasmeet K. Ahuja, “India’s new prime minister promised to investigate a genocide against Sikhs. Why hasn’t he?”, in The Washington Post‎, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 31 October 2014:

     More flagrantly, the Delhi police themselves closed some 241 cases after survivors finger-pointed particular senior officers.

finger-point (plural finger-points)

1. Alternative form of finger point.
   • 1990 February 15, Todd Allan Yasui, “Richard Marx”, in The Washington Post‎, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 28 August 2017:

     The finger-point to no one in particular is also effective. This worked especially well for ballads.

   • 2012 April 12, Carina Chocano, “Julia Louis-Dreyfus Takes the White House”, in The New York Times Magazine‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 16 April 2012:

     Iannucci describes a hand gesture she perfected that he particularly admired, “a clenched thumb thing” used only by politicians “that no one else does in real life.” “It’s not a fist, and it’s not a finger-point,” Louis-Dreyfus explains. “You could call it a ‘thist.’ You make a fist and then you move your thumb on top of the bent fingers, like you’re ready to have a thumb fight with someone. It’s not a natural human gesture. It tries to straddle both sides, you know? To be powerful, but not aggressive.”

   • 2013 February 4, Christi Parsons, Kathleen Hennessey, “Obama takes second-term agenda to the campaign trail”, in Los Angeles Times‎, Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 5 November 2019:

     Someone yelled, “I love you,” and the president gave a finger-point and his standard: “Love you back.”

   • 2017 November 1, Dave Sheinin, “Dodgers beat Astros, and an extraordinary World Series fittingly moves to Game 7”, in The Washington Post‎, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2 November 2017:

     Pederson capably channeled the emotions of every Dodgers fan in the building, punctuating his rowdy trip around the bases with a fist in the air, a chest-thump, a get-on-your-feet gesture to the crowd and a double-barreled finger-point to his dugout.

   • 2019 November 22, Sean Tierney, “The case for keeping Johnny Gaudreau in Calgary (because he hasn’t been as bad as it seems)”, in The Athletic‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2025:

     In Calgary, the most interesting recipient of a finger-point has been 26-year-old star winger Johnny Gaudreau. With only 5 goals and 18 points to start the year, and shooting a measly 7.8% — well-below last season’s 14.7% and his career average of 12.5% — some have called for the Flames to explore trade options for Gaudreau before his value drops.

   • 2023 May 7, Katie Woo, Ken Rosenthal, “Exclusive: Cardinals’ John Mozeliak on why Willson Contreras’ move to OF is off”, in The Athletic‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 17 July 2025:

     “What I don’t want to have happen is a finger-point, this is all Willson’s fault. It’s not,” Mozeliak said.