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To have the rug pulled out from under you means to suddenly lose something you were relying on. When it is unexpectedly taken away, it leaves you surprised or struggling to recover.
The phrase comes from the image of someone standing on a rug that is suddenly yanked away, causing them to fall. It began appearing in English in the late 1800s and is used as a metaphor for sudden, destabilizing change.
The phrase comes from the image of someone standing on a rug that is suddenly yanked away, causing them to fall. It began appearing in English in the late 1800s and is used as a metaphor for sudden, destabilizing change.
Just when she thought the promotion was certain, the company restructured and had the rug pulled out from under her.