He sold his partner down the river for a promotion.
sell down
idiomTo betray a person; to conspire against someone for personal gain.
Origin
disputed originFrom sell + down.
The manager sold his team down the river to save his own job during the budget cuts.
After years of loyal service, the politician felt betrayed when his closest allies sold him down the river to secure their own political futures.
- 01
I have a bridge to sell you
An indirect way of expressing that the addressee is gullible.
- 02
sell bargains
To make saucy (usually indiscreet) comments; to come onto.
- 03
sell dearly
To make one's opponent pay a very high price to defeat or obtain (a person, unit, vehicle, or territory).
- 04
sell down the river
To betray, especially in a manner which causes serious difficulty for the one betrayed.
- 05
sell ice to Eskimos
To persuade people to go against their best interests or to accept something unnecessary or preposterous.
- 06
sell like hot cakes
To be sold in large numbers quickly.
- 07
sell one's birthright for a mess of pottage
To make an unfavorable exchange, especially of something of great, but deferred value, for something of very low, but immediate value.
- 08
sell one's life dearly
To do great injury to the enemy before being killed by them.