Synonyms

rock the boat

Idioms

Disturb a stable situation, as in An easygoing manager, he won't rock the boat unless it's absolutely necessary. This idiom alludes to capsizing a small vessel, such as a canoe, by moving about in it too violently. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

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.

Such an idea had never been tried before, and the Wellington mutual funds’ conservative board of directors were loath to rock the boat.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

“The supply shocks from either would already rock the boat; both together would capsize global markets like a perfect storm,” said Raj.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 12, 2026

"We didn't want to rock the boat too much because he seemed like he knew exactly what he was doing," she said.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2024

He doesn’t want to rock the boat in any way.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2024

“You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you? That’s why you won’t tell anyone who attacked you. The world’s going to end; why rock the boat, right?”

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

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