steady the ship

present singular third person steadies the ship · participle present steadying the ship · participle past steadied the ship · past steadied the ship

1. idiomaticTo bring under control.

   In this Brexit turmoil we’ll need our civil servants to steady the ship [title]

   2016 June 28, Jane Dudman, “In this Brexit turmoil we’ll need our civil servants to steady the ship”, in The Guardian

   4 more examples

   As England attempted to steady the ship, the Rooney flashpoint occurred 17 minutes from time. He was involved in little more than a routine battle for possession near the touchline before lashing out at Dzudovic.

   2011, Phil McNulty, Euro 2012: Montenegro 2-2 England

   If there is a moment to steady the ship, it is now. For [Grant] Robertson, that means investing significantly in the worn-out health system and pumping money into climate change solutions – big-ticket concerns he says he “owes to people”.

   2022 May 13, Eva Corlett, “As the shine comes off NZ Labour, Grant Robertson hopes his budget can steady the ship”, in The Guardian

   Early on, Musk brought in a team of executives and staffers from elsewhere in his business empire, including Tesla and The Boring Company, to help steady the ship.

   2023 September 30, Hannah Murphy, “The wildest job in Silicon Valley”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 17

   To steady the ship, [Laurent] Freixe was implementing an ambitious plan to cut costs by at least SFr2.5bn ($3.1bn), with the help of consultants like McKinsey.

   2025 September 20, Madeleine Speed, Mercedes Ruehl, “The meltdown at Nestlé”, in FT Weekend, London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6

   Synonyms: right the ship