sink or swim

Cultural  

1. A sink-or-swim situation is one in which we must save ourselves by our own means or else fail. The image is that of a person thrown into the water without a life preserver; he or she must swim or drown.

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sink or swim Idioms  

1. Succumb or succeed, no matter what, as in Now that we've bought the farm, we'll have to make a go of it, sink or swim. This expression alludes to the former barbaric practice of throwing a suspected witch into deep water, often weighted down. In case of sinking, the victim died; in case of swimming, the victim was considered in league with the devil and therefore was executed. A related idiom, float or sink, was used by Chaucer in the late 1300s; Shakespeare had the current form in 1 Henry IV (1:3): “Or sink or swim.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sink or swim

"And the things that get said are ruthless - sink or swim."

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

“Some of the worst TV shows have come when you hire a creator, and then tell them what to do rather than saying, ‘Now I’ve got to sink or swim based on their choices.’

From Salon ● May 31, 2024

When they cease to do so, they can sink or swim.

From New York Times ● Apr. 27, 2024

“I didn’t have a choice — it was sink or swim at that point,” Phillips, 29, said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2024

Without that rock of certainty underfoot, the Congo is a fearsome place to have to sink or swim.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver