Meaning
The exposure of a competitive weakness in an opponent that arouses increased competitive aggression in others. Likened to the literal presence of blood in water that causes aquatic predators (such as sharks) to seek out and attack prey.
Examples
After their opponents’ star striker left the match with an injury, the home team smelled blood in the water and brought on their attack with everything they had.
Origin
Synonyms
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does the idiom ‘blood in the water’ mean?
The idiom ‘blood in the water’ means “to deal with a difficult situation without being harmed or damaged”
How do you use ‘blood in the water’ in a sentence?
Example usage of idiom ‘blood in the water’: Newspapers have weathered the storm of online information by providing news online themselves.