high and dry

adjective

1
: being out of reach of the current or tide or out of the water
2
: being in a helpless or abandoned position

Examples of high and dry in a Sentence

the inadequate supplies of vaccine left many people high and dry when the flu season arrived
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Silicon Valley giant — along with Google’s YouTube and other social media apps — may stand to benefit if a law banning TikTok from the United States takes effect on Sunday, leaving TikTok’s 170 million monthly U.S. users high and dry. Mike Isaac, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2025 But her wife ended up leaving her and left her high and dry. Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025 The Cowboys have been left high and dry after mismanaging their RB room, all while Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb continue to try to make ends meet. Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2025 President-elect Trump repeatedly blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for water unavailability, after efforts to fill massive storage tanks left fire hydrants high and dry. Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for high and dry 

Word History

First Known Use

1727, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of high and dry was in 1727

Dictionary Entries Near high and dry

Cite this Entry

“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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