Pull the Rug out from Under Someone.
English
idiom
To suddenly take away support or change plans, leaving someone in a difficult or disappointing situation.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To suddenly take away support or change plans, leaving someone in a difficult or disappointing situation.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To pull away your support with no warning.
When you pull the rug out from under someone, you take away the thing they were leaning on.
It always means a sudden, unexpected move that leaves them stuck.
"Leave Someone in the Lurch"
—
To abandon someone who needed your help, not always suddenly or without warning
"Pull the Plug"
—
To stop something from continuing, without necessarily leaving someone without support
"Pull the Rug out from Under Someone"
—
Suddenly and unexpectedly removing support from someone who was depending on it
They just pulled the rug out from under us — the budget was cut without any warning.
I know. We need to adapt fast.
He pulled the rug out from under me — said he was backing the idea, then disappeared.
That's a really rough position to be left in.
Do you think they'll really cancel the program?
They already did — pulled the rug out from under everyone involved.
