every man for hisself

colloquial A variant of "every man for himself," meaning each person must depend on themselves for their own success or safety. It's always been every man for hisself in this industry. You can't rely on anyone else to help you get ahead. A: "We've got to wait for the rest of the squad!" B: "The squad has been completely scattered by the surprise attack. It's every man for hisself!" These awful attack ads between members of the same party highlight how it's every man for hisself during election season.