leave a sinking ship

leave a sinking ship
desert a sinking ship & leave a sinking ship
Fig. to leave a place, a person, or a situation when things become difficult or unpleasant. (Rats are said to be the first to leave a ship that is sinking.) •

I hate to be the one to desert a sinking ship, but I can't work for a company that continues to lose money.

There goes Tom. Wouldn't you know he'd leave a sinking ship rather than stay around and try to help?


Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • leave a sinking ship — leave/abandon/desert/a sinking ship phrase to stop being involved in something that is becoming less and less successful Senior executives at the company were the first to desert the sinking ship. Thesaurus: to stop doing somethingsynonym to kil …   Useful english dictionary

  • abandon a sinking ship — leave/abandon/desert/a sinking ship phrase to stop being involved in something that is becoming less and less successful Senior executives at the company were the first to desert the sinking ship. Thesaurus: to stop doing somethingsynonym to kil …   Useful english dictionary

  • desert a sinking ship — leave/abandon/desert/a sinking ship phrase to stop being involved in something that is becoming less and less successful Senior executives at the company were the first to desert the sinking ship. Thesaurus: to stop doing somethingsynonym to kil …   Useful english dictionary

  • like a rat deserting a sinking ship — If people leave a company because they know that it s about to have serious problems, or turn their back on a person about to be in a similar situation, they are said to be like rats deserting a sinking ship …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • like rats deserting a sinking ship — phrase in a hurry to leave when problems develop Thesaurus: to leave a club, organization or groupsynonym club membership and joining a club, organization or grouphyponym Main entry: rat …   Useful english dictionary

  • like a rat deserting a sinking ship —    If people leave a company because they know that it s about to have serious problems, or turn their back on a person about to be in a similar situation, they are said to be like rats deserting a sinking ship.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • Like a rat deserting a sinking ship —   If people leave a company because they know that it s about to have serious problems, or turn their back on a person about to be in a similar situation, they are said to be like rats deserting a sinking ship …   Dictionary of English idioms

  • (like rats) deserting a sinking ship — (like rats) deserting/leaving a sinking ˈship f21 idiom (humorous, disapproving) used to talk about people who leave an organization, a company, etc. that is having difficulties, without caring about the people who are left Main entry: ↑sinkidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • (like rats) leaving a sinking ship — (like rats) deserting/leaving a sinking ˈship f21 idiom (humorous, disapproving) used to talk about people who leave an organization, a company, etc. that is having difficulties, without caring about the people who are left Main entry: ↑sinkidiom …   Useful english dictionary

  • abandon a sinking ship — evacuate a ship that is sinking into the sea; leave a group or company because it is headed for failure …   English contemporary dictionary

  • like rats deserting a sinking ship — in a hurry to leave when problems develop …   English dictionary

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