high and dry
Abandoned, stranded, helpless.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“My car broke down and left me high and dry.”
“When my business partner quit without notice, he left me high and dry with all the work.”
“The sudden collapse of the travel agency left hundreds of tourists high and dry in a foreign country without any way to return home.”
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come hell or high water
Regardless of the hardships; no matter what difficulties may arise.
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cut and dried
Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.
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dry behind the ears
Seasoned or experienced; mature, especially with respect to judgment.
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dry eye
An eye which is not crying, i.e. someone emotionally unmoved.
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Dry January
A popular health challenge where a person abstains from alcohol for the entire month of January.
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dry one's eyes
To cease crying.
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dry out
To (cause to) sober up; to cease to be drunk; to quit using drugs or alcohol.
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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.
Last updated August 10, 2026