# walk the plank

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/walk-the-plank
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

## Examples

- The manager made the lazy employee walk the plank.
- After the company lost a lot of money, the board forced the CEO to walk the plank.
- Following the disastrous quarterly results, the director was effectively told to walk the plank, ending his decade-long tenure at the firm.

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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.