in dire straits
idiom
: in a very bad or difficult situation
With its best player out of the game, the team found itself in dire straits.
Examples of in dire straits in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tesla is in dire straits now, so a complete phase-out of the federal electric vehicle tax credit could be a death blow for the company.
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Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Friedrich, who works with sturgeon conservation in the species’ native region, said the fish is in dire straits.
—Kylie Williams, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025
The consensus opinion is that the Social Security trust funds will be in dire straits in the next 10 years and that recipients will take an approximately 20% haircut.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
According to Roger Frock, an early FedEx executive, with the company’s finances in dire straits, Smith went to Las Vegas with the business’s last $5,000, gambled it at a blackjack table and won $27,000—enough to keep FedEx running.
—David Chiu, People.com, 25 June 2025
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Charles Singh, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Friedrich, who works with sturgeon conservation in the species’ native region, said the fish is in dire straits.
—Kylie Williams, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025
The consensus opinion is that the Social Security trust funds will be in dire straits in the next 10 years and that recipients will take an approximately 20% haircut.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 27 June 2025
According to Roger Frock, an early FedEx executive, with the company’s finances in dire straits, Smith went to Las Vegas with the business’s last $5,000, gambled it at a blackjack table and won $27,000—enough to keep FedEx running.
—David Chiu, People.com, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for in dire straits
Cite this Entry
“In dire straits.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20dire%20straits. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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