What it means
Means to bail on a job, team, relationship, or plan, especially when it looks like it’s about to go pear-shaped. It comes from the literal idea of abandoning a sinking ship, so there’s often a whiff of self-preservation and a bit of disloyalty. Used when someone leaves before the fallout and lets everyone else deal with the mess.
Usage examples
"As soon as the layoffs rumour hit, Dan jumped ship to a competitor and took his mug with him. Now everyone’s polishing CVs."
"Three of the best players jumped ship to richer clubs the week before the final, charming."
"She jumped ship from the startup the moment the funding dried up, can't say I blame her."
Where it comes from
Lifted from the sea, where a sailor who jumps ship abandons the vessel before the voyage is done, often when it's in trouble. Ashore it kept that whiff of bailing on people right when the going gets rough and leaving them to bail water alone.
Other ways to say it
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