sink or swim

sink or swim
phrasal
1. : to drown unless one swims

if he fall in, good night, or sink or swim — Shakespeare

2. : to fail or perish unless one exerts oneself

sending him out on his own to sink or swim

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sink or swim phrase
to be left on your own to succeed or fail, without any help

It’s sink or swim in this business.

Thesaurus: to do something without helpsynonym
Main entry: sink

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fail or succeed entirely by one's own efforts

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sink or swim
◇ A situation in which you either sink or swim is one in which you must succeed by your own efforts or fail completely.

They left me to sink or swim on my own.

In this job, it's sink or swim.

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Main Entry: ↑sink
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sink or swim — see ↑sink, 1
• • •
Main Entry: ↑swim

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ˌsink or ˈswim idiom
to be in a situation where you will either succeed by your own efforts or fail completely

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The new students were just left to sink or swim.

Main entry: ↑sinkidiom

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sink or Swim — may refer to:In games: * Sink or Swim (video game), a 1993 game also known as S.S. Lucifer: Man Overboard! In music: * Sink or Swim (The Waifs album) * Sink or Swim (Gaslight Anthem album) * Sink or Swim (Over My Dead Body album)In television: *… …   Wikipedia

  • sink or swim — {v. phr.} To succeed or fail by your own efforts, without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don t work hard to succeed. * /When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left by himself to sink or swim./ * /Tom s new job was …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • sink or swim — {v. phr.} To succeed or fail by your own efforts, without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don t work hard to succeed. * /When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left by himself to sink or swim./ * /Tom s new job was …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Sink or Swim — Éditeur Zeppelin Games, Codemasters Développeur Zeppelin Games, Codemasters Date de sortie 1993 Genre Action, réflexion Mode de jeu …   Wikipédia en Français

  • sink or swim — Of you are left to sink or swim, no one gives you any help and it s up to you whether you fail or succeed …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • sink or swim — ► sink or swim fail or succeed by one s own efforts. Main Entry: ↑sink …   English terms dictionary

  • Sink N' Swim — Infobox Single Name = Sink N Swim Artist = Plumb Album = Beautiful Lumps of Coal Released = 2004 Format = CD Digital download Radio airplay Recorded = Genre = Pop rock Length = 3:29 (Album Version) Label = Curb Writer = Producer = Certification …   Wikipedia

  • sink or swim —    Of you are left to sink or swim, no one gives you any help and it s up to you whether you fail or succeed.   (Dorking School Dictionary)    ***    If someone has to sink or swim, they have to do something alone, and their success or failure… …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • sink\ or\ swim — v. phr. To succeed or fail by your own efforts, without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don t work hard to succeed. When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left by himself to sink or swim. Tom s new job was… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • sink or swim — fail or succeed by your own efforts He will have to sink or swim when he begins his new job …   Idioms and examples

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