🗓️ Idiom: Thrown in at the Deep End (v)
💬 Meaning
- Given a difficult task or situation without preparation or training
- Forced to start something challenging with little support
🧠 Example Sentences
- When I joined the startup, I was thrown in at the deep end with no training.
- New employees are often thrown in at the deep end during a product launch.
- She was thrown in at the deep end, managing the compliance audit in her first week.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from swimming. Being “thrown in at the deep end” refers to putting someone into the deep part of a swimming pool before they know how to swim. Over time, it came to describe any situation where a person starts something difficult without help or preparation.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
On his first day at the startup, Tom was __________ when he had to lead the investor meeting.
Answer
thrown in at the deep end
2. Multiple choice:
What does “thrown in at the deep end” mean?
a) Given full training before a job
b) Asked to take a break from work
c) Put into a hard situation without support
Answer
c) Put into a hard situation without support
3. Change the sentence using “thrown in at the deep end”:
“They asked me to manage the compliance report even though I had never done it before.”
Answer
I was thrown in at the deep end when they asked me to manage the compliance report.
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