Abandon ship
1. leave the sinking ship.
- The officers and crew prepared to abandon ship in an orderly fashion.
2. (also: jump ship) to leave an organization very suddenly before it is too late, especially when you think it is going to fail.
- The CEO abandoned ship just before the auditors were called in.
Give up the ship
quit trying and surrender; admit defeat.
- When John failed a test, his father told him not to give up the ship.