in a pinch

idiom

: in a bad situation when help is needed

I can help out in a pinch if you need a babysitter.

In a pinch, you can substitute another ingredient in the recipe.

Examples of in a pinch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web My two great powers are my ability to charm and disarm people from all walks of life, and my ability to crunch numbers in a pinch. —

Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024 The touchpad’s bottom corners provide a meaty click when pressed and are suitable for mousing in a pinch. —

PCMAG, 25 July 2024 By Saturday evening, Savannah's Richmond Hill neighborhood was transformed into a network of canals navigable by skiff boat, or in a pinch, recreational paddle boards. —

Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024 Out festival in Australia, and like a week or two before Christmas, our drummer at the time, Jay Weinberg, quit and left us in a pinch. —

Josh Chesler, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for in a pinch

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in a pinch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.