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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
However, Rogan has garnered support from Trump supporters through conspiracy theories shared on his show, some of which have landed him in hot water. Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 Next, wash all fabrics: Sanitize bath towels, hand towels, rugs, shower curtains, and more in hot water. Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024 Ban lan gen is a Chinese drink made by simmering the herbaceous plant, isatis root, in hot water. Jeanne Ballion, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024 The first episode of English Teacher finds Evan in hot water over a classroom kiss with Malcolm, who recently resigned to get a better paying job. Barry Levitt, TIME, 15 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 10 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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