ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hang out to dry

idiom
Meaning

To abandon someone who is in need or in danger, especially a colleague or one dependent.


Examples
SIMPLE

He left me to hang out to dry when the boss got angry.

CONTEXTUAL

When the project failed, my partner blamed me and left me to hang out to dry.

COMPLEX

Despite their long history of collaboration, the politician left his loyal aide to hang out to dry as the scandal unfolded.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    dry behind the ears

    Seasoned or experienced; mature, especially with respect to judgment.

  2. 02

    dry eye

    An eye which is not crying, i.e. someone emotionally unmoved.

  3. 03

    Dry January

    A popular health challenge where a person abstains from alcohol for the entire month of January.

  4. 04

    dry one's eyes

    To cease crying.

  5. 05

    dry out

    To (cause to) sober up; to cease to be drunk; to quit using drugs or alcohol.

  6. 06

    dry run

    A practice or rehearsal; especially, one that goes through all the motions of a physical process but without the raw material or workpiece present.

  7. 07

    dry up and blow away

    To go away; to disappear.

  8. 08

    get the hang of

    To begin to understand or manage at a basic level; to learn to handle with some skill.

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