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.
And while hot water does typically fuel storms, meteorologists also pointed out there’s a good deal of wind shear near Melissa, which could destabilize it and prevent it from getting super strong, super fast. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2025 Residents didn’t have hot water for weeks at a time, according to previous reporting. Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025 Michigan got in hot water for a sign-stealing scandal in 2023. Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025 Once the filter is out, use hot water and soap on a damp cloth to wipe the ledges where the filter sits. Nafeesah Allen, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 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 24 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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