as in predicament
a very bad or difficult situation
—usually singular
The recent cut in funding will only contribute to the hospital's financial plight. the plight of the unemployed
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Recent Examples of plight
Alex Sherman, CNBC, 28 May 2026
The movie, which will premiere June 10 at the fest, dramatizes the plights of Iranian civilians weeks before the United States and Israel invaded the country this year.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024
Not for months, but for years, plighting their troth.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for plight
Noun
Underlying it all, many Knicks supporters felt Dolan was infuriatingly un-self aware or, at least, not empathetic to fans' plight.
—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 28 May 2026
The movie, which will premiere June 10 at the fest, dramatizes the plights of Iranian civilians weeks before the United States and Israel invaded the country this year.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 27 May 2026
Verb
Latino history in the U.S. is plighted with systemic issues from mass deportations in the 1920s and 1930s, to poor working conditions for farm workers, to segregated schools, to arrests and stereotypes during the war on drugs.
—Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 11 Oct. 2024
Not for months, but for years, plighting their troth.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for plight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plight
Noun
-
The struggling are blamed for their own predicament.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
-
But the pullback reflected a broader strategic predicament.—
Euan Ward,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Instead, voters have increasingly turned to candidates promising heavy-handed security crackdowns.—
Megan Janetsky,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
De la Espriella, who has never before held public office, also promises to sever peace talks with armed groups and unleash a full-on offensive against rebels.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The Tonys are a place to put on a brave face, but will the anxiety creep in?—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
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Acting as both tour guide and impromptu airplane anxiety therapist is all part of the job for Swanstrom.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Large insurers such as UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente and Humana have vowed to reduce the use of prior authorizations.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
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Amid an ongoing trade war with the US, Carney has vowed to double Canadian exports to other markets in the next decade and signed more than 20 economic and security deals in the last year.—
Reuters May 28,
CNN Money,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
For many San Diegans, the proposal to close dozens of public restrooms due to budget cuts may sound like a minor inconvenience — an unfortunate but manageable reduction in public services during difficult fiscal times.—
Francesca Torriani,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
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Retailers say the credit card law will lower costs for businesses and consumers, and that arguments that the change will cause inconvenience are overblown.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Guerin has already mortgaged a large part of the future in trades for Hughes and David Jiricek and may not want to trade more young roster players (Jesper Wallstedt, Danila Yurov) or prospects (Charlie Stramel, Hunter Haight, Adam Benak).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
26 May 2026
-
When could mortgage rates drop close to 5% again?—
Tim Maxwell,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
But Johnson, a West Sider and member of the nondemonational Lawndale Christian Community Church, has frequently leaned on his base within the Black church during times of tribulation in office.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2026
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The new film, which is both written and directed by the franchise’s longtime screenwriter John Hamburg, sees Grande play Olivia Jones, the fiancé of Pam and Greg Focker’s son who now has to endure the tribulations of meeting the parents (and grandparents) before joining the family.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The two got engaged in 2014 and have remained affianced since.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
Peoplemag,
5 May 2023
-
Alexandra Crotin, a rep for Stone, later confirmed to USA TODAY the actress and writer are now affianced.—
Charles Trepany,
USA TODAY,
5 Dec. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Plight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plight. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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