on thin ice

Idioms  

1. In a precarious or risky position, as in After failing the midterm, he was on thin ice with his math teacher. This metaphor is often rounded out as skate on thin ice, as in He knew he was skating on thin ice when he took his rent money with him to the racetrack. This idiom, which alludes to the danger that treading on thin ice will cause it to break, was first used figuratively by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his essay Prudence (1841): “In skating over thin ice our safety is in our speed.”

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Example Sentences

Some industry representatives criticized Makary for the FDA’s Replimune rejections, adding pressure when he was already on thin ice with administration officials over vaping policy and ongoing management clashes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

This analysis suggests that the S&P 500 will be skating on thin ice over the next few quarters.

From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026

In France, Le Figaro's UK correspondent writes that Starmer is on "thin ice".

From BBC • May 12, 2026

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had been on thin ice within the administration for some time.

From Slate • Mar. 7, 2026

I was on thin ice, but I didn’t care.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

• dangerous
• delicate
• dicey
• hazardous
• insecure
• perilous
• problematic
• risky
• rocky
• shaky
• slippery
• ticklish
• touchy
• uncertain
• unhealthy
• unreliable
• unsettled
• unstable
• unsteady