leave someone holding the bag

verb

To abandon somebody, leaving him or her holding the responsibility or blame.

“After the accident, he just vanished and left me holding the bag.”

Similar
leave someone in the lurchleave someone holding the babyleave someone high and dry
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Meanings

verbleave someone holding the bag (third-person singular simple present leaves someone holding the bag, present participle leaving someone holding the bag, simple past and past participle left someone holding the bag)

present singular third person leaves someone holding the bag · participle present leaving someone holding the bag · participle past left someone holding the bag · past left someone holding the bag

  1. figurativelyTo abandon somebody, leaving him or her holding the responsibility or blame.

    After the accident, he just vanished and left me holding the bag.

  2. figurativelyTo remove the value from an article or arrangement and leave somebody holding the empty (or valueless) container.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
leave someone in the lurchleave someone holding the babyleave someone high and dry
Also see
leave someone holding the babyleave someone in the lurch

Origin

Originated in 18th-century Britain, referring to a person left holding stolen goods while the rest of a criminal gang escapes.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish jättää ottamaan syyt niskoilleen
  • jättää ottamaan syyt niskoilleenleave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
French faire porter le chapeau
  • faire porter le chapeauleave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
Italian lasciare col cerino in mano
  • lasciare col cerino in manoleave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
Polish wziąć dupę w troki
  • wziąć dupę w trokileave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
Portuguese pagar as favas
  • pagar as favasleave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
Russian пове́сить всех собак, свалить вину
  • пове́сить всех собак (povésitʹ vsex sobak)leave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
  • свалить вину (svalitʹ vinu)leave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
Spanish echar el muerto
  • echar el muertoleave somebody holding the responsibility or blame
Cite this entry
APA

leave someone holding the bag. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20holding%20the%20bag

MLA

“leave someone holding the bag.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20holding%20the%20bag. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “leave someone holding the bag,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/leave%20someone%20holding%20the%20bag.

Source: leave someone holding the bag on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.