throw in at the deep end

verb

To introduce (someone) to a new situation without adequate preparation.

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Meanings

verbthrow in at the deep end (third-person singular simple present throws in at the deep end, present participle throwing in at the deep end, simple past threw in at the deep end, past participle thrown in at the deep end)

present singular third person throws in at the deep end · participle present throwing in at the deep end · past threw in at the deep end · participle past thrown in at the deep end

  1. idiomaticTo introduce (someone) to a new situation without adequate preparation.

Origin

From allusion to an actual swimming pool with a shallow end and deep end. In the shallow end, a person can stand on the bottom. In the deep end, the water is too deep to do this, so a person must be able to swim or at least tread water or drown.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

throw in at the deep end. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20in%20at%20the%20deep%20end

MLA

“throw in at the deep end.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20in%20at%20the%20deep%20end. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw in at the deep end,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20in%20at%20the%20deep%20end.

Source: throw in at the deep end on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.