plights 1 of 2

noun

plural of plight
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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plights

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of plight
as in promises

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of plights
Noun
Over lunch at the Santa Clara Hilton — a short drive from 49ers headquarters — Edwards shared about the plights of outspoken athletes such as Wilma Rudolph, Jesse Owens, Rose Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Tommie Smith, John Carlos and more. — Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 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 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 Our reviewer was captivated by the evocative writing and moved by the characters’ plights. — Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for plights
  1. predicaments
  2. promises
  3. tribulations
  4. mortgages
  5. inconveniences
  6. vows
  7. frustrations
  8. irritants
Noun
  • The relentless rain associated with Hurricane Isaias didn’t stop some hikers from venturing onto trails and greenways in North Carolina, leading to life-threatening predicaments, officials say.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • On the screen, in a series of daredevil adventures, the actor had extricated himself from a hundred impossible predicaments.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of predicaments
Verb
  • The story picks up when 14-year-old Maeve and her older sister, Reg, start a secret phone romance with a boy from the local boat club who promises a way into the upper echelons of Cape Cod society.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • When it's released on October 23, the iPhone Duo promises similar capabilities, but in Apple's first-ever foldable.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of promises
Noun
  • Based on the graphic novel by Anthony Bourdain, Get Jiro is a new Adult Swim series that follows the tribulations of a sushi chef in near-future Los Angeles.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The triumphs and tribulations that led to this point can be overridden with one swing.
    — Gabriel Burns, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of tribulations
Verb
  • So my guess/belief/thought is that the executive trio is hoping for the best this year, but is unwilling to do anything that mortgages future seasons.
    — Josh Kendall, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of mortgages
Noun
  • The drawbacks of the home are more minor inconveniences than major considerations.
    — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026
  • There has never been any consideration of the inconveniences caused by CDOT.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of inconveniences
Verb
  • Continue reading … ‘LETHAL ALLIANCE’ — Top US general vows to destroy 'anything and everything' backing a Russia strike.
    — , FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Le Pen vows fiscal turnaround Further political instability is also expected to develop when France holds its presidential election in the spring.
    — Chloe Taylor,Jenni Reid, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of vows
Noun
  • The rhetoric from Rogers and other Republicans about El-Sayed has added to those frustrations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In July, antigovernment protests forced the resignation of the education minister over frustrations with the examination system.
    — Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of frustrations
Noun
  • Nodules can be caused by a variety of factors including scar tissue, lung irritants, inflammatory conditions, current or past infections, or cancer.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Their wavelike motion helps move around germs, mucus, dust, and other irritants so the body can dispel them via coughing or sneezing.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritants

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Cite this Entry

“Plights.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/plights. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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