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
Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Shapiro’s daily plight was all too familiar to women runners in the late 1950s and early 60s.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 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
Harmon said the plight of Chesterton’s snowy white owl was an opportunity to educate the public about what millions of other birds experience during migratory season – especially with dangers like highways and powerlines.
—Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Shapiro’s daily plight was all too familiar to women runners in the late 1950s and early 60s.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 17 Apr. 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
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After realizing their predicament, the couple was forced to swim to a buoy about a mile from shore.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Gonzales has been in a similar predicament for many months longer.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The standoff beneath the bridge, where whole neighborhoods were dislocated by construction and residents had long been promised a park, quickly attracted national attention.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Shortly after, the President held a press conference and promised the dinner would be rescheduled.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Incoming college freshmen are easy targets for people looking to profit from anxiety about loneliness, which the former US Surgeon General called an epidemic.—
Mary Frances Ruskell,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
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Maygen says Paisley has struggled with anxiety ever since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 2 years old.—
Nicki Cox,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Ravens’ first pick Thursday was Penn State’s Vega Ioane, a 6-foot-4 and 326-pound guard who is described as a mauler and who vowed that no one is going to touch his quarterback, Lamar Jackson.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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Amid sharp criticism over what some saw as an inadequate NYPD response, Menin vowed to pass a bill requiring the buffer zones.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Hanif Abdurraqib considers our nostalgic longing for inconvenience.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Apr. 2026
-
To water supply managers in Los Angeles County, rain is not an inconvenience.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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In addition, the Jets could mortgage some of their future draft picks to acquire players.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Knicks mortgaged their future for the present.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
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That was Mark Critchley’s cue to interview Maguire about his tribulations in Manchester (and his harder times with the England national team, too).—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The two got engaged in 2014 and have remained affianced since.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
Peoplemag,
5 May 2023
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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 28 Apr. 2026.
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