the buck stops here
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
The responsibility lies here.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
There's no, oh the buck stops here and I can't pass it any further!
Moreover, Truman was ready to act decisively, following the advice of the card which he displayed prominently on his desk: " The buck stops here ".
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “the buck stops here” mean?
The responsibility lies here.
Is “the buck stops here” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.