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.

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

Without AI, the U.S. economy would be dead in the water, according to Jason Furman of Harvard External link, a former head of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama.

From Barron's • Oct. 17, 2025

"We were written off in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election with very similar arguments - you were dead in the water before you had begun according to the Scottish media," he said.

From BBC • Sep. 7, 2025

They were a franchise that was dead in the water.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 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