Leave someone high and dry.
[Idiom] LEAVE SOMEONE HIGH AND DRY. - How to Recognize and Avoid Leaving Others in Difficult Situations
Abandon someone in need.
Leave someone high and dry" typically means to leave someone in a difficult or helpless situation without any support. This idiom originated from a nautical context, where a ship might be left aground when the tide goes out, leaving it "high and dry" and unable to move. In everyday usage, it refers to abandoning someone when they most need assistance.
Example Sentences
Don't leave her high and dry.
Ensure not to abandon her in a difficult situation.
Canceling last minute left the organizer high and dry.
Cancelling just before the event made the organizer feel abandoned with unresolved issues.
He felt betrayed when his team abandoned him, leaving him high and dry.
He felt deeply let down when his team left him to handle everything alone.
