hot water

noun

Synonyms of hot waternext
: 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.
Cut into slices, dipping knife in hot water between cuts. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 June 2026 Never use hot water to wash swimwear. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 June 2026 Golden Currant Syrup Combine equal parts golden raisins, sugar and hot water, and blend. Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 The veteran litigator found herself in hot water after her efforts to broker a detente between Cipriani and Shell spectacularly backfired. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 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 13 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

hot water

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

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