fall on one's sword
To resign from a job or other position of responsibility, especially when pressured to do so.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The manager decided to fall on his sword after the project failed.”
“You should fall on your sword if you cannot lead the team anymore.”
“After the company lost millions due to his poor decisions, the director chose to fall on his sword and resign.”
“When the restaurant received several health violations, the head chef fell on his sword so the owner could hire someone new and keep the business open.”
“The politician fell on her sword by quitting the campaign after her staff made a series of embarrassing mistakes that hurt the party's image.”
“Facing intense public scrutiny and pressure from the board, the chief executive reluctantly fell on his sword to preserve the reputation of the firm.”
From the Roman practice of a military leader committing suicide following a devastating defeat. The commander would place his weapon hilt-first on the ground and literally fall on the point of the blade. The method allowed a disgraced officer to take responsibility for failure by his own hand rather than facing the inconvenience of capture or public execution.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026