hanging out to dry
Betrayed and stranded
To hang someone out to dry is to abandon them in a difficult situation, leaving them to face consequences alone.
The image is of wet laundry left exposed to the elements—vulnerable and forgotten.
When the scandal broke, the company hung him out to dry.
Often implies betrayal by those who should have offered support or protection.
- hung outSpent time idly
- abandonLeave behind permanently
- clothesFabric worn on body
- scapegoatingUnfairly assigning fault to innocents
- take the fallAccept blame for another
thrown under the bus · dry · dereliction · betray · blame-shifting · desert · left in the lurch · twist in the wind · forsake · left high and dry · laundry · dirty laundry · leave behind · ignore · vulnerability · disregard · exposure · fair weather friend
hanging out to dryhaving someone's back
Providing reliable support
standing by · backing up · protecting · defending · covering for
hang, hanging, hangs, hanger, hangers, hangout, hangouts, outer, outermost