high and dry

Idioms and Phrases

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

Ms Rowe said that her family had been "left high and dry".

From BBC

They knocked them off in four, with Curran left high and dry on 15 deliveries.

From BBC

“If there’s somebody who, in 2024, will get some site acquisition funds and they were planning to come back next year or the year after that to look for some construction funds, we’re leaving them high and dry” if the dollars are withheld, she said.

From Seattle Times

Spotting threats to vulnerable natural areas has become a mission for Melissa Rohde, a hydrologist who has spent years analyzing satellite data and water levels in wells to come up with strategies for preventing ecosystems from being left high and dry.

From Los Angeles Times

The Liberal Democrats said Mr Cleverly's Braintree constituency had benefited from £1.6m from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and accused him of putting people there "high and dry... in a desperate plea for headlines".

From BBC