in dire straits
idiom
: in a very bad or difficult situation
With its best player out of the game, the team found itself in dire straits.
Examples of in dire straits in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But who? Many Westerners, especially young people, have latched onto a flagrantly false accusation: Gaza is in dire straits because Israel is in the process of perpetrating a genocide.
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Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
In fact, credit unions truly took hold in the U.S. during the Great Depression—when the Federal Credit Union Division was created in 1934—largely as an alternative to traditional banks, which had failed by the thousands, leaving many Americans in dire straits.
—Haniya Rae, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
But Sentry breaks free from her control and then, fueled by Bob's repressed emotions, transforms into a shadowy figure called The Void, putting New York City and our heroes in dire straits.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Tesla is in dire straits now, so a complete phase-out of the federal electric vehicle tax credit could be a death blow for the company.
—Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in dire straits
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Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 July 2025
In fact, credit unions truly took hold in the U.S. during the Great Depression—when the Federal Credit Union Division was created in 1934—largely as an alternative to traditional banks, which had failed by the thousands, leaving many Americans in dire straits.
—Haniya Rae, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
But Sentry breaks free from her control and then, fueled by Bob's repressed emotions, transforms into a shadowy figure called The Void, putting New York City and our heroes in dire straits.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Tesla is in dire straits now, so a complete phase-out of the federal electric vehicle tax credit could be a death blow for the company.
—Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in dire straits
Cite this Entry
“In dire straits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20dire%20straits. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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