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.
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
James HohmannExamples of hot water in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In terms of top Netflix original films, that goes to Kinda Pregnant, the tragi-comedy centring on an awkward woman (Schumer) who fakes her own pregnancy to get attention before realising her lie might have landed her in hot water with her new boyfriend Will Forte.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Julia and Brandon suddenly found their relationship in hot water after Julia confessed to cheating on Brandon five years ago.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Lakes in hot water, climate change creating a cauldron of issues
One Earth.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, Uncle Richard Jr., voiced by Deon Cole, is an ex-con and a relentless hustler whose questionable advice often lands Kev in hot water.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hot water 
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.
Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
Meanwhile, Julia and Brandon suddenly found their relationship in hot water after Julia confessed to cheating on Brandon five years ago.
—Abigail Adams, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Lakes in hot water, climate change creating a cauldron of issues
One Earth.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025
Meanwhile, Uncle Richard Jr., voiced by Deon Cole, is an ex-con and a relentless hustler whose questionable advice often lands Kev in hot water.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for hot water
Dictionary Entries Near hot water
Cite this Entry
“Hot water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20water. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share