Question 1

What does "jump ship" mean?

Accepted Answer

To abandon a failing organisation, project, or cause, often to join a competitor.

Question 2

How do you use "jump ship" in a sentence?

Accepted Answer

When the startup ran out of funding, half the team jumped ship.

Question 3

Is "jump ship" formal or informal?

Accepted Answer

"jump ship" is register-neutral — appropriate in both casual and formal contexts. A nautical metaphor now widely used in business and politics to describe defection.