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 American people overwhelmingly rate Social Security as the most important program in our country and oppose cuts that would leave our seniors high and dry. Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025 Astronomers say the location is both high and dry enough to provide clear skies for observing the universe. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 23 June 2025 Playing an unnamed surfer stuck high and dry atop a parched parking lot, Cage stares down at the waves below with the thirst of a battered cartoon coyote. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025 Max Monks was left high and dry when 16 Lots Brewing Co. shuttered its locations in Mason and Newport late last year. Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer, 2 July 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!