Knee-deep synonyms

Water that is knee-deep can rapidly become chin high, or higher.

David was knee deep in a can't-put-down-able James Lee Burke mystery, while Cynthia plodded through her zillion-page saga, a real flower-presser in Dean's mind.

Betsy was knee deep in meetings through the dinner hour so I was designated to baby sit Howie.

You were just belly-aching, crying poor-mouth that we were knee deep in a slow period.

Rita had returned and Harrigan was knee-deep in paper work, smiling as usual, but looking as if his heart wasn't in it. ita Angeltoni was the sloppiest woman Dean had ever known.