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
But anything short of clear optimism about returning in the near future is going to add to concern for a Yankees team that is in dire straits.
—
Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
With Afghanistan’s economy still in dire straits after the international troop withdrawal in 2021, Zahirah was the sole breadwinner in her household, which includes her five young children.
—Elise Blanchard, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
With the death of physical media and the slow decline of the theater business, movies are in dire straits these days.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Tesla is in dire straits now, so a complete phase-out of the federal electric vehicle tax credit could be a death blow for the company.
—Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
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Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Aug. 2025
With Afghanistan’s economy still in dire straits after the international troop withdrawal in 2021, Zahirah was the sole breadwinner in her household, which includes her five young children.
—Elise Blanchard, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
With the death of physical media and the slow decline of the theater business, movies are in dire straits these days.
—Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2025
Tesla is in dire straits now, so a complete phase-out of the federal electric vehicle tax credit could be a death blow for the company.
—Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for in dire straits
Cite this Entry
“In dire straits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20dire%20straits. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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