left holding the bag

Cultural  

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

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Example Sentences

Capping contingency fees makes many lawsuits uneconomical for attorneys, who must shoulder litigation costs such as expert testimony until a final judgment is achieved, and are left holding the bag if there is no recovery or the judgment doesn’t cover their costs.

From Los Angeles Times

The Warner board argued that its shareholders could be left holding the bag.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Barron's

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

From Barron's

If a bubble does pop, we’ll all be left holding the bag.

From The Wall Street Journal