take the fall

• take a fall

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take the fall (third-person singular simple present takes the fall, present participle taking the fall, simple past took the fall, past participle taken the fall)

1. (idiomatic, informal, sports, especially boxing) To willingly lose a match, as in a fixed fight.
2. (idiomatic, informal) To bear the blame or punishment for another person's failure or misdeed, either intentionally or not.

   It was good of him to take the fall for you like that, I just wonder if he will come out of this one unscathed.

   • 2010 June 8, “Economy Watch: BP CEO Tony Hayward to testify on Capitol Hill next week”, in Washington Post:

     You can take the president at his word after last week's sacking of MMS director Liz Birnbaum, the first in the government to take the fall for the BP oil spill disaster

• (bear the blame): take the rap

• fall guy
• scapegoat