rock the boat

1. Disturb a stable situation, as in An easygoing manager, he won't rock the boat unless it's absolutely necessary. This idiom alludes to capsizing a small vessel, such as a canoe, by moving about in it too violently. [Colloquial; early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Esther wishes she had made a formal complaint at the time, but says she did not because he was an important author, and she didn't want to rock the boat.

From BBC

Whether from a calculation of how best to maintain the status quo or from simple lack of imagination, authoritarians generally do not want to rock the boat.

From Salon

Rather than rock the boat in times of trouble, Walter has practiced patience when it comes to personnel decisions.

From Los Angeles Times

“Right now I might say, ‘We don’t rock the boat, let’s not go to Toronto and Montreal.’

From Los Angeles Times

Fabian remains a conundrum — is he just a “don’t rock the boat” ladder-climber or is it more sinister?

From Los Angeles Times