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Like rats abandoning a sinking ship Meaning in English

expression

LYKE RATS uh-BAN-duh-ning uh SING-king SHIP
lyke RATS ub-AN-du-ning ay SING-king SHIP

Definition

This expression describes people leaving a situation when it starts to fail or become dangerous, just to save themselves. It compares them to rats, who are believed to escape a sinking ship before it goes down.

Usage & Nuances

This is a critical and slightly informal expression, often used to describe disloyalty or selfishness when facing trouble. Commonly used in business, politics, or group situations when people quickly leave a failing project or organization. Avoid in very formal writing.

Spanish: como ratas que abandonan un barco que se hundePortuguese (BR): como ratos abandonando um navio afundandoPortuguese (PT): como ratos a abandonar um navio que se afundaChinese (Simplified): 像老鼠逃离下沉的船Chinese (Traditional): 像老鼠逃離下沉的船Hindi: जैसे चूहे डूबते जहाज़ को छोड़ते हैंArabic: كالفئران التي تهرب من سفينة تغرقBengali: ডুবন্ত জাহাজ থেকে ইঁদুর পালানোর মতোRussian: как крысы, покидающие тонущий корабльJapanese: 沈む船から逃げ出すネズミのようにVietnamese: như những con chuột bỏ tàu chìmKorean: 가라앉는 배에서 쥐들이 도망치듯이Turkish: batan gemiyi terk eden fareler gibiUrdu: جیسے چوہے ڈوبتے جہاز کو چھوڑتے ہیںIndonesian: seperti tikus meninggalkan kapal yang tenggelam

Example Sentences

When the company started losing money, employees left like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

basic

He quit his team like rats abandoning a sinking ship when things got tough.

basic

As soon as trouble started, they left the project like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

basic

When the scandal broke, politicians disappeared like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

natural

Everyone is jumping ship like rats abandoning a sinking ship since the company’s future looks uncertain.

natural

The volunteers bailed like rats abandoning a sinking ship once funding dried up.

natural