How to Pronounce "like rats abandoning a sinking ship"
expression
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.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈɫaɪk/ /ˈɹæts/ /əˈbændənɪŋ/ /ˈeɪ/, /ə/ /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/ /ˈʃɪp
British English
lˈaɪk/ /ɹˈæts/ /ɐbˈændənɪŋ/ /æɪ/ /sˈɪŋkɪŋ/ /ʃˈɪp
Simplified Pronunciation
US
LYKE RATS uh-BAN-duh-ning uh SING-king SHIP
UK
lyke RATS ub-AN-du-ning ay SING-king SHIP
Listen in Context
When the company started losing money, employees left like rats abandoning a sinking ship.
He quit his team like rats abandoning a sinking ship when things got tough.
As soon as trouble started, they left the project like rats abandoning a sinking ship.
When the scandal broke, politicians disappeared like rats abandoning a sinking ship.