leave someone in the lurch
To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Don't leave me in the lurch with all this work.”
“My partner quit the project at the last minute, leaving me in the lurch to finish everything alone.”
“By failing to arrive for the final performance, the lead actor left the rest of the cast in the lurch, forcing them to improvise the entire show.”
disputed origin
See entry for left in the lurch
- 01
as if someone owns the place
Alternative form of like someone owns the place.
- 02
beat someone round the ears
To beat (a person) with blows about the head.
- 03
bless someone with
To give or bestow, as a gift from God.
- 04
bring someone to their knees
To defeat and make submit to orders.
- 05
call someone every name in the book
To call someone many abusive names.
- 06
call someone everything but a child of God
To call someone many abusive names.
- 07
catch someone napping
To take advantage of someone's inattention.
- 08
cry someone a river
To weep profusely or excessively in the presence of another person.
Last updated August 10, 2026