in the lurch
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They overlook that those payouts were often skimpy, many workers didn’t get the benefit, and companies that went bust left retirees in the lurch.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Developers and investors are hesitant to schedule a spot on a factory line if that factory’s bankruptcy will leave them in the lurch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026
The decision leaves defense contractors and defense suppliers in the lurch.
From Barron's ● Jan. 7, 2026
Department of Agriculture have stopped, leaving some would-be home buyers in the lurch.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2025
And in the meantime, I’ve left Charlotte of the Palatine in the lurch.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
