adrift


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cast adrift

1. Literally, of a ship or sailors, to float on a body of water without control or anchorage. The team was cast adrift in the Atlantic for 17 days before a rescue party found them.
2. To be let go, freed, or lost. Likened to a ship that drifts without an anchor or moorings to a dock. When I arrived in the country, I found myself cast adrift in a city I didn't know, among people whose language I couldn't speak. With my inheritance money, I was cast adrift to pursue whatever life I fancied.
3. To leave someone to float on a body of water without control or anchorage. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "cast" and "adrift." That awful storm cast us adrift in the Atlantic for 17 days before a rescue party found us.
4. To let someone go or cause them to be freed or lost; to no longer support someone. Likened to a ship that is left to drift without an anchor or moorings to a dock. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "cast" and "adrift." I think it's about time that we cast the extremists of the party adrift. Her parents cut her adrift after they found drugs in her room.
See also: adrift, cast

be cut adrift

To be detached or cut off from something. Likened to a boat having its mooring cut so that it drifts freely in the water. She was cut adrift after her parents found drugs in her room and kicked her out of the house.
See also: adrift, cut

cut adrift

To abandon or set free. Likened to a boat having its mooring cut so that it drifts freely in the water. I think it's about time that we cut adrift the extremists of the party.
See also: adrift, cut

cast loose

Let go, freed, or lost. Likened to a ship that drifts without an anchor or moorings to a dock. When I arrived in the country, I found myself cast loose in a city I didn't know, among people whose language I couldn't speak. With my inheritance money, I was cast loose to pursue whatever life I fancied.
See also: cast, loose

cast loose

Also, cast adrift. Let go, freed, as in After Rob was suspended from boarding school, he was cast loose with nowhere to go, or Selling her home meant she was cast adrift with no financial ties or responsibilities. Originally a nautical term for releasing a vessel, this idiom was being used figuratively by the late 1500s.
See also: cast, loose

cut adrift

Separated or detached; freed. For example, The dissenters were cut adrift from the denomination. This expression alludes to cutting the rope of a floating vessel so that it drifts without direction or purpose. The figurative use of adrift dates from the late 1600s.
See also: adrift, cut

cast (or cut) someone adrift

1 leave someone in a boat or other craft which has nothing to secure or guide it. 2 abandon or isolate someone.
2 1998 Oldie The various dissenting movements…should be cut adrift and left to their own devices.
See also: adrift, cast, someone
References in periodicals archive ?
In the first chapter, the authors present current criticisms of higher education similar to those in Academically Adrift (Arum & Roksa, 2011).
Aspiring Adults Adrift: Tentative Transitions of College
In between the Ferrari duo were Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull and Williams pair Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa, the latter driving on home soil and finishing 0.976secs adrift.
Rosberg shows Lewis he's far from finished; MOTORSPORT
Pitkin was a neck behind in third and The Only Boss fourth, another three-and-half-a-length adrift.
Fancied Azizi lifts National Day Cup
The dismal desperation in the daily lives of Adrift's characters becomes bearable when draped in Edizel's magical words.
Adrift
The automaker has confirmed to USA Today that the cargo ship, Morning Spruce, was carrying the first 61 units of the 2014 Equus sedan to the United States when it lost power and is currently adrift in the North Pacific.
-Hyundai Equus shipment from Korea to US breaks down at sea
The favorite pipped Rabdn 1343 by three-fourth-length while Rabdn 1566 was one-and-one-fourth-length behind in third and Obeyn 1335 was fourth, another one-and-three-fourth-length adrift.
Results of HM the King's Horse-Racing Cup
Sydney: A French solo sailor adrift for days in a life raft on the Southern Ocean after his yacht sank was rescued by the crew of an Antarctic cruise ship Sunday, Australian maritime officials said."I'm very pleased to confirm the solo sailor, who had been in a life raft in the Southern Ocean for the past three days, has been recovered by the cruise ship Orion and AMSA believes he is being taken to Hobart," said a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
French solo sailor rescued in Southern Ocean
But yesterday afternoon after several hours adrift in the seas off the Philippines, it regained engine power and began heading for repairs at the port of Sandakan in Malaysia.
Cruise ship limps into port after engine fire
"I think I shall attempt to write the story of the old suitcase," begins the prologue of Edizel's newest novel, Adrift. The protagonist is an unknown man who arrives in the Montreal airport holding only an old suitcase.
Loren Edizel: Adrift
ADRIFT: CHARTING OUR COURSE BACK TO A GREAT NATION discusses what has gone wrong with America and what can be done about it.
Adrift
Contador was beaten to victory in yesterday's stage by Pierre Rolland (Europcar) with Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) second, 14 seconds behind, with last year's Tour winner another nine seconds further adrift.
Andy's in position to clinch yellow; TOUR DE FRANCE
Two of five missing crew members of a fishing boat were found adrift in waters off Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, on Thursday, but were pronounced dead later, the Japan Coast Guard said.
UPDATE 1: 2 of 5 missing crew members of fishing boat found, pronounced dead
Khalid Attieh makes par to enter final day two shots adrift
Saunders stays on top of the leaderboard
The authors of Academically Adrift say the findings are not surprising given that, at least in these two formative years, learning takes a back seat to socializing.
Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses
Goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio sealed the points for the Old Lady, who stay third - five points adrift of the summit.
Juventus cut for Serie A title after impressive victory; EUROPE
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