Region: US | Usage example: He felt sold down the river after the board withdrew support.

Sold down the river

Meaning

Betrayed or treated unfairly.

Used to describe betrayal by someone trusted.

Origin notes can vary by region and source; this page gives the commonly reported explanation and usage context.

Slavery-era practice of selling enslaved people down the Mississippi River.

Published in antislavery literature by the 19th century.