someone who is treading water is not doing anything to make progress.

I'm just treading water until I get an opportunity to try for a job with more responsibility. (often in continuous tenses)

• make skin crawl
• make someone eat their words
• make someone eat words
• make someone feel small
• make someone quake in boots
• make someone quake in their boots
• make someone's blood boil
• make someone's blood run cold
• make someone's day
• make someone's flesh crawl
• make someone's flesh creep
• make someone's hair stand on end
• make someone sit up and take notice
• make someone's mouth water
• make someone's skin crawl
• make someone's toes curl
• make something of
• make something of yourself
• make something out of nothing
• make something seem like a picnic
• make something stick
• make something up out of whole cloth
• make something worth while
• make something worth your while
• make stick