Question

in_the_loop_404 to just barely manage to stay ahead, financially (sentence 1) or with one’s work or responsibilities (sentence 2) Antonym: in over (one’s) headCompare to: make ends meet; get by

Accepted Answer

KEEP (ONE’S) HEAD ABOVE WATER Mrs. Robinson has three children to support and she doesn’t make very much money at her job. She is barely keeping her head above water.Peter is having a difficult time at the university because he wasn’t very well prepared academically, but he is somehow managing to keep his head above water. Keep one’s head above water and make ends meet mean having just enough money but no extra, although the former conveys a greater feeling of desperation. Keep one’s head above water can mean survival in a financial or other sense, whereas make ends meet always refers to a financial situation.

Id	in_the_loop_404
Idiom	KEEP (ONE’S) HEAD ABOVE WATER
Definition	to just barely manage to stay ahead, financially (sentence 1) or with one’s work or responsibilities (sentence 2)
Examples	Mrs. Robinson has three children to support and she doesn’t make very much money at her job. She is barely keeping her head above water. Peter is having a difficult time at the university because he wasn’t very well prepared academically, but he is somehow managing to keep his head above water.
Cross-Refs	Antonym: in over (one’s) head Compare to: make ends meet; get by
Extra Info	Keep one’s head above water and make ends meet mean having just enough money but no extra, although the former conveys a greater feeling of desperation. Keep one’s head above water can mean survival in a financial or other sense, whereas make ends meet always refers to a financial situation.

Head Water Make One’s Ends Barely Sentence Money