take on water

present singular third person takes on water · participle present taking on water · past took on water · participle past taken on water · alternative take in water

1. boat; or other watercraft; boat; or other watercraftTo slowly fill with water, as due to a leak or being washed by high waves; to begin to sink.

   The skipper, Matt Craughwell, said their boat had begun to take on water after being tossed, stern upwards, by huge waves.

   2012 January 31, Charlie Cooper, Simon Rice, “How six would-be record-breakers ended up in seriously deep water”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 08 Jan 2016

2. broadlyidiomaticTo be in an increasingly difficult or risky situation; to falter or begin to fail.

   The team refinanced $250 million of debt and is no longer taking on water under the leadership of GM Sandy Alderson.

   2014 March 26, Mike Ozanian, “Baseball Team Values 2014 Led By New York Yankees At $2.5 Billion”, in Forbes, retrieved 08 Jan 2016

   2 more examples

   While the heartland is chugging right along, the economies of Southern California and New England are still taking on water.

   1994 January 2, Peter Passell, “Clear Today; Tomorrow, Who Knows?; Catch '94”, in New York Times, retrieved 08 Jan 2016

   Democrats on Capitol Hill . . . are struggling not to go down with the Obama campaign (which is taking on water at an alarming rate).

   2012 June 22, Jennifer Rubin, “Why defend Obama’s abuse of executive privilege?”, in Washington Post, retrieved 08 Jan 2016