sink or swim
to succeed or fail without help from anyone else

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

sink or swim
to fail or succeed.
Newcomers are given no training - they are simply left to sink or swim.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

sink or swim
to fail or succeed by one's own efforts
My cousin will have to sink or swim when he begins his new job.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

sink or swim
v. phr. To succeed or fail by your own efforts, without help or interference from anyone else; fail if you don't work hard to succeed.
When Joe was fourteen, his parents died, and he was left by himself to sink or swim.
Tom's new job was confusing and no one had time to help him learn, so he had to sink or swim.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲