as in anxieties
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 plights
Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Given the tyrannical inferno that engulfed these precariously united states, my personal plights were mere embers, ashes, in the grand scheme of things.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Then again, that slightly generic quality never impinges on the film’s characterizations, and allows viewers to extrapolate the finer points of this story to the plights of so many other refugees, from Syria and elsewhere.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
The particular bodily plights of the thirty-something jock don’t stem simply from the inherent risk imbued in competitive sports.
—Grace Perry, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Noun
At great personal risk, Hadi connected me with dissidents, political prisoners, and their relatives, who all described their plights as the regime’s repressive campaign escalated in the weeks leading up to the war.
—Cora Engelbrecht, New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2026
Given the tyrannical inferno that engulfed these precariously united states, my personal plights were mere embers, ashes, in the grand scheme of things.
—Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
Then again, that slightly generic quality never impinges on the film’s characterizations, and allows viewers to extrapolate the finer points of this story to the plights of so many other refugees, from Syria and elsewhere.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026
The particular bodily plights of the thirty-something jock don’t stem simply from the inherent risk imbued in competitive sports.
—Grace Perry, Outside, 1 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plights
Verb
-
With passionate fans, rising stars, and a city embracing the spotlight, March Madness in Sacramento is delivering exactly what its name promises.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Cate Charron Most protests have a few speakers, call and response chants and marches, but Saturday afternoon's event promises a whole lot more.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Winning from behind is not sustainable, and the predicaments in which Chelsea have found themselves this week point to other problems.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Rustin has slyly given her script a focus on women’s needs and feelings, a welcome departure for a genre that usually is more concerned about the men’s predicaments.—
Matthew J. Palm,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Those are the players in recent memory who’ve commanded the kind of draft capital that reshapes franchises — the sort of seismic move that mortgages a future and, in return, attaches expectations normally reserved for franchise-carrying superstars.—
Kristian Winfield,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The husband-and-wife filmmakers behind the Iranian doc short Cutting Through Rocks, who had faced their own tribulations, were right there.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Ownership struggles, wars, economic collapses, and the ever-evolving tribulations of the automotive business brought constant change.—
James Raia,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Tony Clark was forced to resign as players association head and replaced by Bruce Meyer as talk intensified about a possible management salary-cap proposal the players association vows to fight.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Continue reading … CAPITAL CHAOS — FBI Director Kash Patel vows justice after Park Police officer gunned down.—
,
FOXNews.com,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
With such services suspended, lawmakers traveling on Delta will face the same inconveniences as other passengers.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Homeland is currently only partially funded, causing long airport backups and other inconveniences.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The most common complaints from Hers reviewers on Trustpilot and the BBB involve frustrations around figuring out how to cancel a subscription, shipping delays and the strict return policy (with refunds rarely given).—
Rebecca Strong,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
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Murphy has vented frustrations about Congress taking a back seat since the initial strikes against Iran started a month ago, despite the body’s constitutional authority to declare war.—
Lisa Hagen,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There certainly are harmful chemicals, carcinogens, toxins, heavy metals, respiratory irritants and other things inside of there that certainly can cause immediate harm.—
Mary Kekatos,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
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That's because these substances accumulate quickly in bedding and create an ideal environment for dust mites and other irritants.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Plights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plights. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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