tread water

Verb

tread water (third-person singular simple present treads water, present participle treading water, simple past (common in US) treaded water or (more common in UK) trod water, past participle (common in US) treaded water or (more common in UK) trod water or (more common in UK) trodden water)

1. (intransitive) To remain afloat in the water without use of any buoyancy aid, by using kicking motions and hand motions.
   • Near-synonym: keep one's head above water
   • We gained the interior of the submarine cave without difficulty, and on emerging from the waves, supported ourselves for some time by treading water, while we held the two bundles above our heads.1857, R. M. Ballantyne, “chapter 13”, in The Coral Island

   Synonyms:

   keep one's head above water

2. (figuratively) To make no progress, expending effort just enough to maintain a stable position.
   • Near-synonym: keep one's head above water
   • Jem looked at me furiously, could not decline, ran down the sidewalk, treaded water at the gate, then dashed in and retrieved the tire.
     “See there?” Jem was scowling triumphantly. “Nothin‘ to it. I swear, Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it’s mortifyin’.”1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   keep one's head above water