hold one's head above water

A form of keep one's head above water — To survive or endure, especially in a situation in which one is struggling to avoid being overwhelmed by adverse financial circumstances.

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Meanings

verbhold one's head above water (third-person singular simple present holds one's head above water, present participle holding one's head above water, simple past and past participle held one's head above water)

present singular third person holds one's head above water · participle present holding one's head above water · participle past held one's head above water · past held one's head above water

  1. alternativeAlternative form of keep one's head above water.
Cite this entry
APA

hold one's head above water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20head%20above%20water

MLA

“hold one's head above water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20head%20above%20water. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hold one's head above water,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hold%20one's%20head%20above%20water.

Source: hold one's head above water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.