Synonyms of straits

straits

noun

plural of strait

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind

in great straits over the loss of her mother's cherished necklace

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distress
• anguish
• agony
• pain
• sorrow
• misery
• sadness
• tribulation
• woe
• excruciation
• torment
• hurt
• torture
• rack
• travail
• affliction
• hardship
• discomfort
• cross
• emergency
• crucible
• unhappiness
• heartbreak
• heartache
• danger
• jeopardy
• difficulty
• ache
• joylessness
• pang
• trial
• pinch
• soreness
• trouble
• asperity
• rigor
• stitch
• twinge
• throe
• smarting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relief
• consolation
• comfort
• solace
• ease
• security
• alleviation
• peace
• assuagement
• well-being

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun straits differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of straits are contingency, crisis, emergency, exigency, juncture, pinch, and strait. While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

When is contingency a more appropriate choice than straits?

The synonyms contingency and straits are sometimes interchangeable, but contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

In what contexts can crisis take the place of straits?

The meanings of crisis and straits largely overlap; however, crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

When is it sensible to use emergency instead of straits?

In some situations, the words emergency and straits are roughly equivalent. However, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

When might exigency be a better fit than straits?

While in some cases nearly identical to straits, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

When can juncture be used instead of straits?

Although the words juncture and straits have much in common, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

How is pinch related to other words for straits?

Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of straits

Desperate for more space, the city negotiated an initial $40 million deal with the Row, still in financial straits from the pandemic. —Luis Ferré-Sadurní, New York Times, 23 Dec. 2024

Recognizing the dire straits, the California Fish and Game Commission in April voted to uplist desert tortoises from threatened to endangered. —Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Dec. 2024

Both straits are situated near Taiwan. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Because the Montreux Convention enforced by Ankara prevents Russian warships passing through the Turkish straits, Moscow is likely to redeploy the vessels to its bases in northwestern Russia and Kaliningrad, which borders the Baltic Sea, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said. —Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

While Jets fans may be used to such dire straits as the NFL regular season enters its final full month, the implosion of both New York franchises makes for one of the league’s most cringeworthy storylines this year. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN, 27 Nov. 2024

Much of the money in this agreement will likely be structured as debt too—and will add to a global debt crisis that the International Monetary Fund estimates has 35 countries in dire financial straits this year. —Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2024

Back then, the Cuban American community in Miami took Elian's case as a cause to beat Fidel Castro and as a way to communicate to the world why so many Cubans left the island, even at the risk of dying in the Florida straits. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 9 Oct. 2024

Instead, local governments, many already in difficult financial straits, have spent to keep what are rapidly becoming zombi firms afloat. —Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2024