in the same boat

Idioms

Also, all in the same boat. In a similar situation, in the same position. For example, Everyone's got too much work—we're all in the same boat. This expression alludes to the risks shared by passengers in a small boat at sea. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The risk label puts the US company in the same boat as the Chinese telecoms firm Huawei, which was similarly blacklisted over different national security concerns.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

"It's going to throw everything at you, everyone is in the same boat and you really have to dial in on your targets," Korda said.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

Tyler Cromer, a principal at ATI Advisory, said we’re all basically in the same boat as Weitzel.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025

I’ve made collages alongside children, and we’re all in the same boat.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2025

It was not that he pitied me but that he felt we were in the same boat for different reasons, and that I could understand his frustration just as he could countenance my withdrawal.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023