# leave someone in the lurch

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/leave-someone-in-the-lurch
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To abandon somebody; especially, to abandon somebody and leave him or her in a difficult situation.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

See entry for left in the lurch (disputed)

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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.