The idiom like rats fleeing a sinking ship means a lot of people all leaving a failing situation around the same time. It is often used when people abandon a group, plan, or organization as soon as trouble appears.
The expression comes from the old belief that rats on ships would sense danger and escape before a vessel sank. Because rats were often seen leaving damaged ships in ports, the image became a metaphor for people rushing to abandon a doomed situation.
The expression comes from the old belief that rats on ships would sense danger and escape before a vessel sank. Because rats were often seen leaving damaged ships in ports, the image became a metaphor for people rushing to abandon a doomed situation.
When the company started losing money, investors left like rats fleeing a sinking ship.