hang out to dry
To abandon someone who is in need or in danger, especially a colleague or one dependent.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He left me to hang out to dry when the boss got angry.”
“When the project failed, my partner blamed me and left me to hang out to dry.”
“Despite their long history of collaboration, the politician left his loyal aide to hang out to dry as the scandal unfolded.”
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cut and dried
Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.
- 02
dry behind the ears
Seasoned or experienced; mature, especially with respect to judgment.
- 03
dry eye
An eye which is not crying, i.e. someone emotionally unmoved.
- 04
Dry January
A popular health challenge where a person abstains from alcohol for the entire month of January.
- 05
dry one's eyes
To cease crying.
- 06
dry out
To (cause to) sober up; to cease to be drunk; to quit using drugs or alcohol.
- 07
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.
- 08
dry up and blow away
To go away; to disappear.
Last updated August 10, 2026