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
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.
Those who cannot escape should float or tread water and signal for help. — Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 What’s more, Outback Steakhouse treaded water on the sales front, while business at Texas Roadhouse and another competitor, LongHorn Steakhouse, nearly doubled, according to data from Technomic, quoted by Restaurant Business Magazine. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 30 July 2026 Walking laps in the shallow end, treading water or joining a water aerobics class can all provide an effective workout. — Patricia Neligan, AJC.com, 27 July 2026 The Board can continue to tread water as the two parties hash out contract violations, payouts, and how to implement policy governance. — Elaine Gantz Berman, Denver Post, 27 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tread water

Rhymes for tread water

See All Rhymes for tread water

Browse Nearby Words

tread the boards
tread water
treadway bridge
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tread water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tread%20water. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All