skate on thin ice

verb

To be (or to place oneself) in a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

“If I concur to that I will be skating on thin ice.”

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Meanings

verbskate on thin ice (third-person singular simple present skates on thin ice, present participle skating on thin ice, simple past and past participle skated on thin ice)

present singular third person skates on thin ice · participle present skating on thin ice · participle past skated on thin ice · past skated on thin ice

  1. idiomaticTo be (or to place oneself) in a risky, potentially dangerous or delicate situation.

    If I concur to that I will be skating on thin ice.

    1 more example

    Black is tossed a Pawn, skates on very thin ice in the opening and just manages to reach shore and win the ending.

    1961 January, John W. Collins, “Postal Games”, in Chess Review

Translations

Czech chodit po tenkém ledě, bruslit na tenkém ledu
  • chodit po tenkém leděto be in potentially risky situation
  • bruslit na tenkém leduto be in potentially risky situation
Finnish liikkua heikoilla jäillä
  • liikkua heikoilla jäilläto be in potentially risky situation
German sich auf dünnem Eis bewegen
  • sich auf dünnem Eis bewegento be in potentially risky situation
Polish stąpać po cienkim lodzie
  • stąpać po cienkim lodzieto be in potentially risky situation
Swedish vara ute på hal is
  • vara ute på hal isto be in potentially risky situation
Cite this entry
APA

skate on thin ice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skate%20on%20thin%20ice

MLA

“skate on thin ice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skate%20on%20thin%20ice. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “skate on thin ice,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skate%20on%20thin%20ice.

Source: skate on thin ice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.