(won't/doesn't) hold any water

Meaning(s)

1. something that does not prove to be true, something difficult to believe

Popularity

Medium

Professional

Medium

Social

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that argument/belief/excuse won't/doesn't hold any water (with me)

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When you say something 'doesn't hold water' you mean that it is illogical or that the argument is not strong or that it is untrue. An argument or opinion which is considered to be strong or difficult to disprove is called a 'watertight' argument. An argument which can be disproven easily is said 'to have holes in it', and something which has holes in it 'can't hold any water'. You can use this idiomatic expression in both social and professional contexts.

Check Icon Social Examples (Advance)

  1. The argument for giving students lots of homework doesn't hold any water with me. It has been proven that students learn more when they can choose what to study.
  2. You said you were not in class yesterday because you were sick, but that won't hold any water with me, because I saw you at the mall.

Check Icon Professional Examples (Basic)

  1. The belief in Creationism doesn't hold any water with evolutionary scientists, who argue that the earth existed long before the Bible states.
  2. The belief that some students are natural geniuses doesn't hold any water. Studies show that over 10,000 hours of study is needed to create an expert in their field.

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unsubstantiated discredit

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