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

Japanese carmakers are particularly in dire straits, with Toyota likely to be the worst hit due to its huge U.S. sales, according to Vivek Vaidya, global client leader for mobility at research firm Frost & Sullivan. —Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2025

The Detroit Pistons entered this season in dire straits, having followed up a 17-win season in 2022-23 with a 14-68 record, the worst ever for franchise, in a campaign that included a 28-game losing streak, the longest in a single season in NBA history. —Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 12 Mar. 2025

But recent state and federal changes, coupled with stimulus money drying up and tight budgets all around, has put it in dire straits. —Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2025

China's economy remains in dire straits despite an uptick in holiday consumer spending. —Justin Gest, Newsweek, 10 Feb. 2025

Rhymes for in dire straits

• accelerates
• accommodates
• accumulates
• agglomerates
• alienates
• annihilates
• anticipates
• appreciates
• appropriates
• assimilates
• attenuates
• authenticates