Example
“Everyone saw the flaw, but nobody wanted to rock the boat before the election.”
Recorded usage
These full forms were measured in COCA in 2016–2017. Counts apply to the quoted form, not every use of this idiom; overlapping forms are not added together.
Grouped source variants; editorially classified here as an idiom. Usage counts are separate from CEFR difficulty.
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
go with the flow
CEFR B1To adjust calmly to circumstances or prevailing behavior instead of resisting them.
give someone the slip
CEFR B2to escape or evade someone who is following or pursuing you
lay a finger on
CEFR B2to touch or interfere with a person, usually in a warning against causing harm
make waves
CEFR B2to cause disruption or draw attention by challenging established expectations
open the floodgates
CEFR B2To remove a restraint and allow something to increase rapidly, often beyond control.
stand up and be counted
CEFR B2to declare one's position publicly when doing so calls for courage or principle
Source methodology
Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.