on shaky ground
idiom
: weak and likely to break down, collapse, or fail : not strong or well supported
Their marriage is on shaky ground.
His argument/theory rests on shaky ground.
Examples of on shaky ground in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wall Street is coming into Monday’s session already on shaky ground.
—
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
Despite the company’s awards and early critical success, Annapurna quickly found itself on shaky ground.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
And trust and truth are on shaky ground.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
But is the science behind vibration plates on shaky ground?
—Julia Sullivan, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on shaky ground
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.
Fred Imbert, CNBC, 12 Jan. 2026
Despite the company’s awards and early critical success, Annapurna quickly found itself on shaky ground.
—Reeves Wiedeman, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
And trust and truth are on shaky ground.
—Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
But is the science behind vibration plates on shaky ground?
—Julia Sullivan, Outside, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on shaky ground
Cite this Entry
“On shaky ground.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20shaky%20ground. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
