hang out to dry

present singular third person hangs out to dry · participle present hanging out to dry · participle past hung out to dry · past hung out to dry

1. idiomatictransitiveTo abandon someone who is in need or in danger, especially a colleague or one dependent.

   I'll take advantage while / You hang me out to dry

   1989, Kurt Cobain, “About a Girl”, in Bleach, performed by Nirvana

   2 more examples

   Without supplemental health insurance, we would have been hung out to dry.

   2008 March 7, Joe Fiorito, “Our home-care system hangs families out to dry”, in Toronto Star, archived from the original on 02 Dec 2008

   It's hard to avoid the conclusion that young people are being hung out to dry.

   2011 January 25, Clare McNeil, “Don't hang young people out to dry”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

   Synonyms: leave someone hanging

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hang, out, dry.