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
Cite this Entry
“Hot water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20water. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.
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