sold down the river
Treacherously given up
Sold down the river means betrayed, especially by someone trusted.
The phrase comes from the American slave trade, when enslaved people in the Upper South were literally sold to plantations further down the Mississippi River—a fate feared for its brutal conditions and permanent separation from family.
The betrayal sense emerged from this history: My own lawyer sold me down the river.
Deceived into believing
- hoodwinkedTricked into believing falsely
- swindledDeceived for gain
- bamboozledThoroughly deceived or confused
- connedDeceived for gain
tricked · cheated · defrauded · suckered · hoaxed · flimflammed · cozened · beguiled
Treacherously harmed by ally
- double-crossedBetrayed by supposed ally
- betrayedViolated someone's trust
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
turncoat · deceived · forsaken · abandoned · disloyal · renegade · defector · treason
Large-scale farming operation
- auctionCompetitive public sale
- chattelMovable personal property
- slave tradeCommerce in human beings
- Middle PassageTransatlantic slave trade crossing
emancipation · Underground Railroad · cotton · tobacco · overseer · field hands · quarters · Deep South
Failure to satisfy expectations
- heartbreakCrushing emotional pain
- dismayDistressed loss of courage
- disillusionmentBitter loss of faith
- anguishIntense mental suffering
bitterness · resentment · crushed · devastated · crestfallen · gutted · wounded · hurt
duped
Deceived into believing
- hoodwinkedTricked into believing falsely
- swindledDeceived for gain
- bamboozledThoroughly deceived or confused
conned · tricked · cheated · defrauded · suckered · hoaxed · flimflammed · cozened · beguiled · scammed
backstabbed
Treacherously harmed by ally
- double-crossedBetrayed by supposed ally
- betrayedViolated someone's trust
- treacheryDeliberate violation of trust
perfidy · turncoat · deceived · forsaken · abandoned · disloyal · renegade · defector · treason · disloyalty
plantation
Large-scale farming operation
- auctionCompetitive public sale
- chattelMovable personal property
- slave tradeCommerce in human beings
Middle Passage · emancipation · Underground Railroad · cotton · tobacco · overseer · field hands · quarters · Deep South · shackles
letdown
Failure to satisfy expectations
- heartbreakCrushing emotional pain
- dismayDistressed loss of courage
- disillusionmentBitter loss of faith
anguish · bitterness · resentment · crushed · devastated · crestfallen · gutted · wounded · hurt · disillusioned
sold down the riverstood by
Supported or awaited
had someone's back · protected · defended · shielded · safeguarded
sold down the riverchampioned
Actively supported a cause
fought for · rescued · liberated · emancipated · saved
sold, seller, sellers, down, downer, downers, downward, downwards, river