hot water

noun

: a difficult or dangerous situation : trouble entry 1 sense 4
used with in or into
But this poor fellow was always getting into hot water, and if there was a wrong way of doing a thing, was sure to hit upon it.Richard Henry Dana, Jr.
In recent years, comedians have found themselves in hot water for making politically incorrect topics about everything from race to gender.James Hohmann

Examples of hot water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Use hot water and a non-abrasive scrubber or coarse salt to remove stubborn residues. Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024 Reigning champion Blaney enters Martinsville in hot water for the second straight year. Joseph Wolkin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 Volkswagen has been in hot water in recent months, warning of potential plant closures in Germany and scrapping a slew of labor agreements with local workers in September. Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024 For instance, stealing zipper pulls from other kids’ backpacks stems from a viral TikTok challenge that can land your child in hot water with school administrators—and even the law. Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hot water 

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot water was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near hot water

Cite this Entry

“Hot water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20water. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

hot water

noun
: a distressing situation : trouble
in hot water for not doing my chores

More from Merriam-Webster on hot water

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