in the hot seat

Cultural  

1. In an uncomfortable or embarrassing situation, usually by being subjected to severe criticism: “When the settlement talks broke down, he was in the hot seat with both management and labor.” The phrase is an extension of “hot seat,” slang for the electric chair.

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in the hot seat Idioms  

1. see hot seat.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in the hot seat

Few are like Cliffwater, which until recently was an investor darling but now finds itself in the hot seat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

Judging by the noise coming out of Hollywood, whoever ends up in the hot seat ought to be relieved not to be caught up in the Warner takeover battle.

From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025

A fortnight after the Gunners' surprise draw at Sunderland gave their Premier League title rivals new hope, Sunday's resounding win over Tottenham has put them firmly back in the hot seat.

From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2025

OpenAI’s new short-form video app is putting Meta Platforms Inc. in the hot seat.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2025

Gay and Phil would be in the hot seat next.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter