tread water

Idioms  

1. Expend effort that maintains one's status but does not make much progress toward a goal, as in He was just treading water from paycheck to paycheck. This idiom alludes to the term's literal meaning, that is, “keep one's head above water by remaining upright and pumping the legs.”

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tread water

New York gold contracts continued to tread water, falling slightly to around $4,340 a troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Until a definitive end to the conflict emerges, Bitcoin is likely to tread water.

From Barron's ● Apr. 15, 2026

Fennell’s eye for image-making is her greatest directorial strength; it’s what keeps her films afloat even when their screenplays struggle to tread water.

From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026

The following year, a transitional team lost seven of 12 Tests as they continued to tread water in attack.

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026

I kicked and paddled, doing my best to tread water as I sucked down air, and looked around in confusion.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---