# sinking ship

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sinking-ship
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something which is doomed; an impending debacle; an ongoing disaster.

## Examples

- Everyone is leaving the company because it is a sinking ship.
- The project was failing, so the manager decided to abandon the sinking ship before the final deadline.
- Investors fled the market in a panic, desperate to distance themselves from what they clearly perceived as a sinking ship.

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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.