“Keep your head above water”
ChallengesDefinition
To manage to survive or cope, especially with financial or work difficulties.
Examples
Examples
1 / 2“We are working extra shifts just to keep our heads above water.”
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Start speakingUse this idiom in context
Rewrite this example in plain English without the idiom. Preserve who is speaking, the time and the meaning.
We are working extra shifts just to keep our heads above water.Compare with the original example
We are working extra shifts just to keep our heads above water.
Write a two-line conversation using “Keep your head above water”. Make the situation clear enough that a reader can infer the meaning. Then replace the idiom with a plain-English explanation: does your conversation still mean the same thing?
Check the expression in a dictionaryFrequently asked questions
- What does "Keep your head above water" mean?
- "Keep your head above water" means to manage to survive or cope, especially with financial or work difficulties.
- How do you use "Keep your head above water" in a sentence?
- Example: "We are working extra shifts just to keep our heads above water."
- Should I interpret "Keep your head above water" word for word?
- Understand the expression as a whole. Use the definition and example to learn its meaning rather than translating each word separately.