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
The offseason featured plenty of chatter about Mac Jones being on shaky ground as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback, with backup Bailey Zappe poised to provide competition after winning in his two starts as a rookie.
—
Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 29 Aug. 2023
As the dust settles over whatever disagreements may have emerged from the battle for Lisa Marie Presley’s trust, her mother Priscilla Presley is maintaining that her relationship with granddaughter Riley Keough was never on shaky ground.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2023
Since Signature and Silicon Valley banks collapsed in March, followed by First Republic in May, many regional and midsize lenders have been on shaky ground.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 12 Aug. 2023
Macron, who is on shaky ground over the police killing of a teenager and ramming through an unpopular hike in the retirement age, has a chance to demonstrate his commitment to liberalism and democracy by pushing Modi to end his silence on Manipur.
—Time, 13 July 2023
From the lackluster opening sequence introducing Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his covert team to their very next mission, which ends badly for several members, Mission: Impossible starts off on shaky ground and never quite rights itself.
—David Hunter, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 July 2023
Such policies put communities on shaky ground even before the recession, Scorsone said.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 11 July 2023
The Biden administration was trying to reestablish U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance after President Donald Trump had left it on shaky ground.
—Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2022
Those efforts have been on shaky ground, sparking speculation that the seven-time All-Star could seek a trade if progress isn’t made.
—Afentres, oregonlive, 30 June 2023
See More
Mark Inabinett | Minabinett@al.com, al, 29 Aug. 2023
As the dust settles over whatever disagreements may have emerged from the battle for Lisa Marie Presley’s trust, her mother Priscilla Presley is maintaining that her relationship with granddaughter Riley Keough was never on shaky ground.
—Rachel Desantis, Peoplemag, 23 Aug. 2023
Since Signature and Silicon Valley banks collapsed in March, followed by First Republic in May, many regional and midsize lenders have been on shaky ground.
—Brian Cheung, NBC News, 12 Aug. 2023
Macron, who is on shaky ground over the police killing of a teenager and ramming through an unpopular hike in the retirement age, has a chance to demonstrate his commitment to liberalism and democracy by pushing Modi to end his silence on Manipur.
—Time, 13 July 2023
From the lackluster opening sequence introducing Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his covert team to their very next mission, which ends badly for several members, Mission: Impossible starts off on shaky ground and never quite rights itself.
—David Hunter, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 July 2023
Such policies put communities on shaky ground even before the recession, Scorsone said.
—Anna Clark, ProPublica, 11 July 2023
The Biden administration was trying to reestablish U.S. commitment to the transatlantic alliance after President Donald Trump had left it on shaky ground.
—Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2022
Those efforts have been on shaky ground, sparking speculation that the seven-time All-Star could seek a trade if progress isn’t made.
—Afentres, oregonlive, 30 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on shaky ground.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 29 Sep. 2023.
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