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.
Tariq Bokhari was known for his outspoken approach that landed the city in hot water earlier this year. Nick Sullivan, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025 That prototype used hot water, bubbles, and plastic massage balls for cleaning and providing a soothing experience. Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025 Add hot water until half-way up the molds. Kathryn Gregory, Louisville Courier Journal, 14 Oct. 2025 But many of those pronouncements were eventually proven false, landing Brown in hot water. Staff Author, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hot water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20water. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

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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