From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrock the boatrock the boatinformalPROBLEM to cause problems for other members of a group by criticizing something or trying to change the way something is done He kept his feelings to himself, not wanting to rock the boat. → rock
Examples from the Corpus
rock the boat• We have a pretty good life here. Why rock the boat?• If she didn't like it then it was her fault for rocking the boat.• Of course you rock the boat!• To refrain from rocking the boat.• Sixty percent of professors are moral cowards unwilling to rock the boat and therefore willing to tolerate the others.• Custom, practice and a tacit agreement not to rock the boat did the rest.• Judge Thurgood Marshall never hesitated to rock the boat, from the beginning of his long legal career.• Injuries to Strachan and Sterland rocked the boat last year.• As long as you don't rock the boat, nobody cares what you do.• Who the hell would want to rock the boat on a deal like that!• Waves from a passing freighter rocked the boat, Swensson says, throwing him to the deck. 