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
While inspecting the car, technicians discover another tire is on the verge of failing catastrophically—but the owner is in dire straits and can't afford the replacement.
—
Heather Newman, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Hurricane Milton dumped 10 to 15 inches of rain on the University Area of unincorporated Hillsborough County, causing unprecedented floods that devastated a community already in dire straits.
—Yacob Reyes, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
The Dodgers’ pitching plans were in dire straits, forcing them to turn relievers for a bullpen game.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Related Stories Outside of the slick Richard Curtis school of Hugh Grant humor and television’s The Office, British comedy is in dire straits these days.
—Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in dire straits 
Heather Newman, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Hurricane Milton dumped 10 to 15 inches of rain on the University Area of unincorporated Hillsborough County, causing unprecedented floods that devastated a community already in dire straits.
—Yacob Reyes, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024
The Dodgers’ pitching plans were in dire straits, forcing them to turn relievers for a bullpen game.
—Jay Paris, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Related Stories Outside of the slick Richard Curtis school of Hugh Grant humor and television’s The Office, British comedy is in dire straits these days.
—Ray Bennett, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for in dire straits
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in dire straits.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“In dire straits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20dire%20straits. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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