What Does "Walk the Plank" Mean?
"Walk the plank" is an English idiom. It means "to be forced into a difficult or undesirable situation, often with no way out; originates from the pirate punishment where a person was forced to walk off a plank extending from the ship into the sea."Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "walk the plank" used in a sentence:- If the merger fails, the CEO might be forced to walk the plank.
- Many employees felt like they were made to walk the plank when the new management took over.
- Taking such a controversial stand might mean you'll have to walk the plank later.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Walk the Plank" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
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