left holding the bag
CulturalExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Instead, Polestar is taking the exit ramp out of the U.S.—and American dealers and customers say they are left holding the bag.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Had you not fought back against the insurer’s original estimate, you would have been left holding the bag for the lion’s share of the costs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 10, 2026
It was a complex story about who borrowed, who lent, how risk was packaged, and who was left holding the bag.
From Barron's ● May 30, 2026
“Yet, somehow we’re left holding the bag when neighbors or constituents or stakeholders are upset about a project.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2025
"Yes," retorted Neil, "and thousands of people who are too old to get fresh insurance at any price, and who will have paid for years, will be left holding the bag."
From Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford by Chester, George Randolph
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
