frame-up
nounUK /ˈfreɪm ʌp/
US /ˈfreɪm ʌp/
A trick to make someone look guilty of something they did not do.
The detective discovered the whole thing was a frame-up to protect the real thief.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A plan to make an innocent person seem responsible for a crime.
He spent years in prison because of a frame-up by his business partner.
3. An arrangement of something, such as a picture or structure, put together in advance.
The frame-up of the display took the whole afternoon.
4. A dishonest scheme designed to harm someone's reputation.
The scandal turned out to be a frame-up engineered by rivals.