in deep
Idioms-
Seriously involved; far advanced. For example, He was in deep with the other merchants and couldn't strike out on his own , or She used her credit cards for everything, and before long she was in deep .
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in deep water . Also, in over one's head . In trouble, with more difficulties than one can manage, as in The business was in deep water after the president resigned , or I'm afraid Bill got in over his head . These metaphoric expressions transfer the difficulties of being submerged to other problems. The first appears in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Book of Psalms (68:13): “I am come into deep waters.” The second, which also can signify being involved with more than one can understand, dates from the 1600s. Also see over one's head .
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.
It’s also located in deep shade, which is very welcome on a hot day.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Kennedy Shoal is a well-known fishing reef in deep water.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
"Relations remain in deep freeze," former Pakistani diplomat, Husain Haqqani, now a senior fellow at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and Hudson Institute, told the BBC.
From BBC • May 7, 2026
Not long ago, the New York Knicks were in deep trouble.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
The parrot bobs his head in deep satisfaction.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
