hung out to dry
Betrayed and exposed
To be hung out to dry is to be abandoned or left to face consequences alone, especially by someone who should have provided support.
The image is of laundry left on the line—exposed and forgotten.
When the scandal broke, the company hung him out to dry.
Often appears as left hung out to dry.
- betrayedViolated someone's trust
- unsupportedLacking backing or proof
- abandonedLeft behind completely
- scapegoatedMade to bear others' fault
- thrown to the wolvesAbandoned to hostile forces
thrown under the bus · set up to fail · neglected · deserted · forsaken · vulnerable · maroon · left in the lurch · strand · sun-dried · cast aside · exposed · out in the cold · helpless · defenseless · let down · discard · left high and dry
- laundrywashing machine, wash, dryer, clothes dryer, fold
- abandonmentabandon, abandoned, forsake, desert, leave
- unfairnessunfair, unjust, biased, unequal, inequitable