tread water

phrase

: to keep the body nearly upright in the water and the head above water by a treading motion of the feet usually aided by the hands

Examples of tread water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This means that working people are effectively treading water between income bumps and rising prices. — Sheldon H. Jacobson, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

There are tensions in markets as bond yields hit multi-year highs, but stock indexes like the S&P 500 continue to tread water. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026

Learn basic water safety skills, including how to float, tread water, and perform CPR. — Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 10 Sep. 2026

The shares are up more than 60% for the year, but have been treading water the last six months. — Kevin Simpson, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for tread water

• backwater
• bathwater
• blackwater
• breakwater
• deepwater
• edgewater
• feedwater
• floodwater
• freshwater
• granddaughter
• groundwater
• headwater