dead in the water

Idioms

Unable to function or move; inoperable. For example, Without an effective leader, our plans for expansion are dead in the water. Originally referring to a crippled ship, this colloquialism was soon applied more broadly.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

During the height of the Covid-19 era, cruises seemed dead in the water: Nations were closing their doors and ships have long been seen as potential petri dishes given how quickly germs can spread onboard.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Still, the revival of a trade deal once deemed dead in the water is good news for both the EU and India.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

More of this and Scotland's World Cup hopes will be dead in the water, if not in Group C but in the play-offs.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2025

For months, the plan appeared dead in the water because his party didn’t have the votes needed in Congress to make the necessary changes in the constitution.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2024

Once again, we were dead in the water.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023