left holding the bag

Cultural

To have the blame or responsibility thrust upon you: “When his partner skipped town, Harry was left holding the bag.”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Taxpayers will inevitably be left holding the bag.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Yasushi Mieno External link was left holding the bag when the 1980s bubble economy imploded.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

“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

Now he's gone, his family is safe and we are left holding the bag.

From Salon • Jan. 28, 2025

But maybe I'm going to be left holding the bag after all.

From The Boy Ranchers in Death Valley or Diamond X and the Poison Mystery by Baker, Willard F.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023