Definition of STRAIT

Choose the Right Synonym for strait

Noun

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. an important juncture in our country's history exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation. provide for exigencies emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster. the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence. contingency plans pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency. come through in a pinch strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult. in dire straits crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference. a crisis of confidence

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.

Examples of strait in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The boats were hired out by businesses eager to treat their clients to a day of luxurious hospitality, culminating in an afternoon racing on the Solent, the strait that separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Kate Middleton Had a Job Working as a Deckhand for $6.81 an Hour," 31 Mar. 2019 Better to fund it and keep millions of low-income women healthy than put them — and therefore, their families — in physical and financial straits. — Nicole Brodeur, The Seattle Times, "Two wins for women: male contraception and a Supreme Court pass," 14 Dec. 2018 The economic straits and the levels of violence aimed at internal and external enemies were simply not comparable to anything happening today. — Zachary Karabell, WSJ, "The Trouble With Hitler Analogies," 30 Nov. 2018 The Mary Rose, and many members of her crew, spent the next 437 years getting buried under several meters of silt at the bottom of the Solent, the strait north of the Isle of Wight. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Tiny magnets will escort ions out of rare material from a shipwreck," 24 Aug. 2018 The United States has laid much of the blame for Gaza’s dire straits at the feet of the authority’s president, Mahmoud Abbas. — New York Times, "Unable to Stop Flaming Kites, Israel Moves to Choke Off Gaza Commerce," 9 July 2018 The most likely culprit for the destruction is a volcano in the middle of the strait, Anak Krakatau. — Mary Beth Griggs, The Verge, "Deadly Indonesian tsunami was not caused by an earthquake," 23 Dec. 2018 Saving people from dire straits is Richard Saul’s specialty. — Lindsay Peyton, Houston Chronicle, "With countless Harvey rescues, firefighter keeps pushing through," 29 June 2018 Yet lawmakers and child advocates say that while the new administration is making things better, some kids are still in dire straits across Kansas. — Laura Bauer And Hunter Woodall, kansascity, "Some Kansas foster children are still missing as others sleep in offices | The Kansas City Star," 21 Apr. 2018

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.