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.
Wading into the thorny issue of Taiwan’s defense has gotten other world leaders in hot water with Beijing before. Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025 Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater, or wrap pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Jalen Williams, Freep.com, 12 Nov. 2025 Fill a plastic container or sink with enough hot water to submerge the fabric and one-half cup of powdered oxygen bleach. Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 Nov. 2025 Heat pumps typically generate hot water at around 95°C, which is insufficient for powering industrial dryers rated to operate with pressurized steam above 150°C. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 11 Nov. 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 14 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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