as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
the inadequate supplies of vaccine left many people high and dry when the flu season arrived
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Recent Examples of high and dry
But now, thanks in part to Howard, some seem convinced the Nick Saban disciple could be enticed to take another offer and leave Texas high and dry.
—
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
That leaves her high and dry, at the mercy of MI5 and the Dogs, but gives Farouk and his cohort Kamal a chance to position themselves at a church for maximum impact.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Under those sturdy leather exteriors, a Gore-tex liner keeps you high and dry, preventing water from entering while shedding unwanted moisture.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2025
But as the river changes course the town could soon be left high and dry and that's fueling a border dispute with neighboring Peru.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for high and dry
Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
That leaves her high and dry, at the mercy of MI5 and the Dogs, but gives Farouk and his cohort Kamal a chance to position themselves at a church for maximum impact.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
Under those sturdy leather exteriors, a Gore-tex liner keeps you high and dry, preventing water from entering while shedding unwanted moisture.
—Alice Bennett, Travel + Leisure, 11 Sep. 2025
But as the river changes course the town could soon be left high and dry and that's fueling a border dispute with neighboring Peru.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for high and dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high and dry
Adjective
-
That gave the last four minutes of the third quarter and the 36-27 fourth quarter a bit of a helpless feeling.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In the meantime, Jones was stranded on an island of his own making Saturday, exasperated by another difficult game-winning shot that his wingspan was somehow helpless to affect on its own.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The men who attacked her were strangers, and the shooting left her paralyzed at 35.—
Hannah McIlree,
CBS News,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Greg Durso, who is now 40, suffered a sledding accident in 2009 that left him paralyzed from the waist down.—
Tim Neville,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
What can’t be easily seen or measured but can impact recovery as much as a weak muscle or stiff joint are the psychological aspects.—
Ian McMahan,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2026
-
After the worst of it, a similar but weaker storm was forecast to bring more rain through this weekend.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The sequel strips Grace of what made her special and merely pays lip service to the first one’s worldview, representing the antagonists as generically incompetent hedonists.—
Michael Ordoña,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The war in Iran is the result of incompetent diplomacy.—
Tom Zirpoli,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
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