Synonyms

high and dry

Idioms

Stranded, as in They walked out on the party, leaving me high and dry. This expression originally alluded to a ship that had run aground or was in dry dock. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And he does not want to leave his clients high and dry should he die unexpectedly.

From MarketWatch

Only that department is set to get left high and dry once Saturday starts, but that’s still significant given its arms include the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S.

From MarketWatch

"Social care has been left high and dry" by last year's NI changes, says John Paddick.

From BBC

Students using an e-learning website have been left "high and dry" after the company running it went into administration.

From BBC

LEE VINING, Calif. — The picturesque tufa towers on the shores of Mono Lake, formed over centuries by underwater springs and left high and dry as Los Angeles diverted water from nearby creeks, have long been a symbol of the saline lake.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023