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

Osman believes Dibling's time in the shadows at Everton is an example of how Moyes nurtures young players, preferring to shape them to what he requires rather than adopting an instant "sink or swim" approach.

From BBC • May 4, 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