How was I to know?

Related to word: know

Idiom

Definition

  1. Used to indicate that a mistake was made due to a lack of prior knowledge or sufficient information, implying it was not one's fault.

    • I was just trying to help; how was I to know that room was off-limits?

    • How was I to know he was allergic to peanuts? I didn’t see any warning signs.

    • How was I to know you would be there? I thought you had already gone home.