walk the plank

verb
/ˈwɔːk ðə ˈplænk/UK/ˈwɔk ðə ˈplænk/US

Definitions

  1. On an early naval vessel or pirate ship

    On an early naval vessel or pirate ship: to be forced to walk off the end of a gangplank (a plank of wood extending outwards from the side of the vessel) and plunge into the ocean and drown, used as a method of killing.

    • Wo unto the crews of such English vessels as now fell into his [Blackbeard's] hands! he showed them no mercy; they either walked the plank, or the hatches were nailed down upon them, and they went down in the scuttled ship.
  2. To be forced to resign from a position in an organization.

    • After he was caught selling company secrets, it’s not surprising they made him walk the plank.
    • [Grover] Cleveland stood pat and another "carpet bagger" [William A. Vincent, Chief Justice of the First Judicial District, Territory of New Mexico] had walked the plank to political exile so far as New Mexico was concerned.

The neighborhood

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA