keep one's head above the 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

verbkeep one's head above the water (third-person singular simple present keeps one's head above the water, present participle keeping one's head above the water, simple past and past participle kept one's head above the water)

present singular third person keeps one's head above the water · participle present keeping one's head above the water · participle past kept one's head above the water · past kept one's head above the water

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

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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