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 Keep in mind, though, that floss picks can be easier to use for someone with limited dexterity and can work for cleaning teeth in a pinch. —

Cara Milhaven Published, Health, 10 July 2024 While this is neither the easiest nor neatest way to pit cherries, in a pinch, it can be done. —

Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 2 July 2024 Lee hopes to increase her all-around score to prove that she can be relied upon on all four events in a pinch, but her bars and beam could be enough for the selection committee to take her. —

Kaetlyn Liddy, NBC News, 30 June 2024 On The Acolyte, haircut via lightsaber seems great in a pinch, but won’t people notice the charred ends of Mae’s locs? —

Keisha Hatchett, TVLine, 28 June 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.