Meanings
verbleave someone at the altar (third-person singular simple present leaves someone at the altar, present participle leaving someone at the altar, simple past and past participle left someone at the altar)
present singular third person leaves someone at the altar · participle present leaving someone at the altar · participle past left someone at the altar · past left someone at the altar
- idiomaticTo abandon a prospective spouse by deciding not to get married at the last minute.
Cite this entry
APA
leave someone at the altar. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20at%20the%20altar
MLA
“leave someone at the altar.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20at%20the%20altar. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leave someone at the altar,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20at%20the%20altar.
Source: leave someone at the altar on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.