Be in the same boat

How it is used

Informal expression of shared difficulty. It does not mean everyone agrees about the solution or understands the issue in the same way.

Example sentences

1. We may be in the same boat next month if our supplier also runs out of packaging.

   The predicted shared problem is a shortage, not agreement between teams.

2. It helps to know that other branches can be in the same boat when staffing levels suddenly fall.

   Comparable difficulties may support mutual understanding across branches.

Common collocations

• expect to be in the same boat
• seem to be in the same boat

Related terms

• colleagueA person you work with, especially someone in the same company or the same profession as you.
• workloadThe amount of work that a person or a team has to do in a given period of time.

More terms: Office Idioms and Phrases

• touch base
• heads-up
• on the same page
• keep me posted
• ballpark figure
• bandwidth
• circle back
• low-hanging fruit
• get the ball rolling
• back to the drawing board
• drop the ball
• on my radar