rock the boat

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rock the boat

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

Esther wishes she had made a formal complaint at the time, but says she did not because he was an important author, and she didn't want to rock the boat.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2025

“Right now I might say, ‘We don’t rock the boat, let’s not go to Toronto and Montreal.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2025

Would you rock the boat and speak out, or would you remain silent, as the people of Auschwitz did?

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers