strait

adjective \ ˈstrāt \

|Updated on: 24 Jun 2018

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Examples: strait in a Sentence

Editor's Note: strait or straight?

Definition of strait

1 archaic : strict, rigorous

2 archaic

a : narrow

b : limited in space or time

c : closely fitting : constricted, tight

3 a : causing distress : difficult

b : limited as to means or resources

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straitly

adverb

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straitness

noun

Recent Examples of strait from the Web

India will have to gird for the coming border war with an expansionist China, and Taiwan will prepare for the inevitable cross-strait invasion.

— jerry hendrix, National Review, "Why the United States Needs a 355-Ship Navy Now," 18 Oct. 2017
While other performers revel in the inherent humor of their roles, Laura Carns is entrusted with the more strait-laced persona of Alice Sycamore.

— bob kostanczuk, Post-Tribune, "Opera House brings new life to 'You Can't Take it With You'," 6 Sep. 2017
One of the world's most important sea lanes, millions of barrels of oil and petroleum products pass through the strait daily, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

— brad lendon and steve george, CNN, "China sends troops to Djibouti, establishes first overseas military base," 13 July 2017
A laconic, strait-laced, hilariously hard-boiled investigator with an encyclopedic knowledge of perps past and present, Miramontes’ Charlie isn’t about to be led around by the nose by femmes Mona or Veronica.

— Orange County Register, "‘Kill Me, Deadly’ in Fullerton delivers dead-on parody of film noir," 29 Mar. 2017
Subsequent episodes, including one in which the most strait-laced teacher got looped on alcohol and ran wild and naked through the halls like a demented leprechaun, maintained the madcap standard.

— james wolcott, HWD, "5 Underrated TV Shows You Should Watch Right Now," 18 Jan. 2017
Subsequent episodes, including one in which the most strait-laced teacher got looped on alcohol and ran wild and naked through the halls like a demented leprechaun, maintained the madcap standard.

— james wolcott, vanityfair.com, "5 Underrated TV Shows You Should Watch Right Now," 18 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strait.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

strait or straight?

Straight and strait are homophones (“one of two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling”), and many people are in the habit of confusing such creatures, particularly when used in fixed phrases. If you express no emotion you have a straight face; an upright person is a straight shooter; a straight flush is “a poker hand containing five cards of the same suit in sequence.” However, if you find yourself in a difficult situation you are in dire straits. Straitjacket and straitlaced are the more commonly used forms for the restrictive garment and the “strict in manners” adjective, although straightjacket and straightlaced are also occasionally found.

Origin and Etymology of strait

Middle English, from Anglo-French estreit, from Latin strictus strait, strict, from past participle of stringere

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

strait

adverb

Definition of strait

obsolete

: in a close or tight manner

First Known Use of strait

13th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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strait

noun

Definition of strait

1 a archaic : a narrow space or passage

b : a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water —often used in plural but singular in construction

c : isthmus

2 : a situation of perplexity or distress —often used in plural

in dire straits

See strait defined for English-language learners

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Examples of strait in a Sentence

Her campaign is in desperate straits.
The company is in desperate financial straits.
The economy is in dire straits.

Recent Examples of strait from the Web

But none of this is new: To be priced competitively, hair dealers have always had to undercut the women selling their hair, which is why dealers have historically flocked to places where women are in dire straits.

— refinery29.com, "Death Threats & $3 Ponytails: What The Fake Hair Trade Is Hiding," 9 June 2018
China sits across an ocean strait, 100 miles from Taiwan at the nearest point, and has the world’s third-strongest armed forces.

— ralph jennings, latimes.com, "Taiwanese F-16 crashes, killing pilot amid military exercises that simulate a Chinese attack," 4 June 2018
In 1810, English poet Lord Byron, inspired by the Greek myth of Hero and Leander, swam across the Hellespont, a strait in present-day Turkey.

— azcentral, "AZ Memo: Day 6 of the #RedForEd walkout; badly burned girl hopes to meet Taylor Swift; Goody's take on 'Disobedience'," 3 May 2018
Several communities in the San Joaquin Valley are in similar straits.

— kurtis alexander, San Francisco Chronicle, "Overpumping of Central Valley groundwater has side effect: too much arsenic," 5 June 2018
The Pentagon should lean forward by actively planning to defend the entire first island chain, as well as to blockade the Southeast Asia straits, through which oil from the Middle East now flows to China.

— seth cropsey, WSJ, "America Can’t Afford to Cede the Seas," 14 May 2018
The Huskies hardly entered in dire straits, but they were swept in a doubleheader Friday at Dunkin’ Donuts Park, the combination of a 6-5 heartbreaker and a 10-1 thumping ending their bid to win a sixth consecutive conference series.

— mike anthony, courant.com, "Mike Anthony: UConn Baseball Restores Calm To Season With 'Exhale Win'," 14 May 2018
With more twists and turns than a Turkish soap opera, and treacherous currents to match, the strait has witnessed scores of accidents over the years.

— The Economist, "Turkey’s president hopes to turn huge building projects into votes," 26 Apr. 2018
Some campers choose to kayak the one-mile strait that separates Washington and Rock islands, but Lake Michigan can be cold and unpredictable and should only be tackled by experienced paddlers.

— chelsey lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "12 places to camp along water in Wisconsin," 12 Apr. 2018

First Known Use of strait

14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

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strait Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of strait

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.