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

He purposely let his boys sink or swim on their own.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

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

From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2024

Part of this crazy experiment in democracy is the idea that we’re all stuck on the same boat together — we sink or swim together.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 21, 2023

It seems to me then the test of whether you sink or swim is, are you funny?

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2023

‘Johnny Tremain is a bold fellow. I knew he could learn—if he didn’t get killed first. It was sink or swim for him—and happens he’s swimming.’

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes