# jump ship

idiom · CEFR B2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/jump-ship
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

To suddenly leave or abandon a group, company, or situation you were committed to — often to escape one that's failing, or to take a better opportunity elsewhere.

## Examples

- Many employees jump ship when they find a better job.
- The project was failing, so several team members decided to jump ship and join a different department.
- If the local government continues to ignore the housing crisis, many young families will jump ship and move to a more affordable city.
- As the company's stock prices began to fall, many senior executives chose to jump ship rather than stay and attempt to fix the internal problems.

## Origin

The idiom comes from the seafaring world of the 18th and 19th centuries, where it literally meant deserting one's vessel without permission. Sailors would slip overboard near a harbour to escape brutal discipline, miserable conditions, or forced recruitment by the press gang. By the late 19th and mid-20th centuries the phrase had passed into everyday figurative speech. Today it usually describes suddenly walking out on a team, company, or situation — especially to get clear of a sinking one or to chase a better opportunity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.