as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
the inadequate supplies of vaccine left many people high and dry when the flu season arrived
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of high and dry
The only instance in his coaching career was in 2018 when LeBron James left the Cavaliers high and dry with a rotation that nobody could win with.
—
Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
A lot of members of boy bands — and there are a lot of them — had managers who left them high and dry.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
When our unused fields are high and dry and the neighbors next to them are underwater, that’s a problem.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 31 July 2024
So instead of having the option for buying a PS5 Pro with or without a disc drive (the practice Sony started with the very first PS5 at launch), you’re only left high and dry to get your own.
—Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for high and dry 
Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
A lot of members of boy bands — and there are a lot of them — had managers who left them high and dry.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2024
When our unused fields are high and dry and the neighbors next to them are underwater, that’s a problem.
—Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 31 July 2024
So instead of having the option for buying a PS5 Pro with or without a disc drive (the practice Sony started with the very first PS5 at launch), you’re only left high and dry to get your own.
—Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for high and dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high and dry
Adjective
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As the screaming continued, the terrified neighbor, 44, shooed her young sons away from the door and looked through the peephole into the hallway, watching as the assailant stabbed the helpless woman in the back of her neck with a knife at least 8 inches long.—
Ellen Moynihan,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2025
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What can people do to spread more civility rather than feeling helpless?—
Stephen Humphries,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nature Medicine View 1 Images Brain-computer interfaces may allow paralyzed people to perform basic actions such as eating and typing, but … well, there's more to life than eating and typing.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2025
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The paralyzed participant has worked with researchers as far back as 2016, and expressed a particular interest in flying the virtual drone.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Its economy and productivity are weak, debt is high and trade diversification is low, the analysts added, singling out the country’s already-declining softwood lumber industry as particularly at risk.—
Jenni Reid,
CNBC,
3 Feb. 2025
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When those cells outnumber the osteoblasts, though, there's an overall loss of bone tissue, resulting in weaker, more fragile bones.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
2 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And the protections shouldn't be such that someone who's incompetent is allowed to stay in a job.—
Mo Rocca,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2025
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The agency found Cardwell was grossly incompetent, but investigators declined to pursue criminal charges.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
21 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near high and dry
Cite this Entry
“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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