How to Use in dire straits in a Sentence
in dire straits
idiom-
However, parent Cagiva was now in dire straits financially, and sold off Ducati to a group in Texas.
—William Roberson, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
-
The episode ends with Jenny and Cassie once more in dire straits.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 22 Oct. 2021
-
Forget the Red Wings’ Stanley Cup hopes; their chances of even surviving the first round were in dire straits.
—Gene Myers, Detroit Free Press, 18 Apr. 2022
-
Just shy of a decade ago, cuddling a cat this aggressively would have left me in dire straits.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2022
-
There are places and people willing to help pregnant women who are in dire straits.
—Rachel Hackett, National Review, 30 July 2023
-
In many ways, San Francisco’s downtown is in dire straits.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN, 30 Aug. 2023
-
In a certain way, the muted dramatic tone suits the circumstances: This is the depths of the Great Depression, and the have-nots are in dire straits.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Dec. 2023
-
This time last year, Maryland hospitals were in dire straits.
—Angela Roberts, Baltimore Sun, 12 Jan. 2023
-
Already in dire straits, movie theaters would be crushed by such a transition.
—Jeva Lange, TheWeek, 6 Aug. 2020
-
Afterall, the 49ers were in dire straits at quarterback.
—Tyler Dragon, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2023
-
Giuliani has been in dire straits for months and is facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal bills.
—Edith Olmsted, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2023
-
It must be lured, placated and trapped, preferably before the end of the seven-day span when poor Tamira (still alive but in dire straits) will be killed.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Sep. 2023
-
With injuries mounting, Blanchester was in dire straits going in to its matchup against Norwood.
—Jonathan X. Simmons, cleveland, 13 Sep. 2022
-
Put them in dire straits, Chabon seems to be saying, and Jews will descend to the level of their enemies — and the U.S. government will happily back them.
—Jack Butler, National Review, 4 Nov. 2023
-
Sam Bankman-Fried, a billionaire who has become the go-to person for bailing out or looking to take over crypto firms in dire straits, passed on a deal to acquire the lender.
—Jack Kelly, Forbes, 6 July 2022
-
The Razorbacks were in dire straits after falling to Mississippi State at home on Oct. 21.
—Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 11 Nov. 2023
-
At the time of its vote, Exxon was still in dire straits from the pandemic, and had spent a decade annoying investors with expensive drilling gambles that left the company buried in debt.
—Tim McDonnell, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2022
-
In February 2011, Hitchcock sent a text message that suggested the company was in dire straits.
—Jesse Barron, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2024
-
The rise in rates also has choked off refinancing business, putting some mortgage companies in dire straits.
—Ben Eisen, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2022
-
Since preservation is a more hands-off approach to wildlife and land management, it’s often reserved for managing species and landscapes that are in dire straits.
—Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 29 Nov. 2023
-
The leak, the source of which remains unknown, also reveals the American assessment of a Ukrainian military that is itself in dire straits.
—Helene Cooper, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Apr. 2023
-
That is largely because Argentina’s economy is in dire straits, struggling in and out of recession for years.
—Amy Booth, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2023
-
The economy of the Arab world’s most populous country is in dire straits after the Covid-19 pandemic hit its tourism sector and the war in Ukraine pushed up global food and commodity prices.
—Chao Deng, wsj.com, 7 Apr. 2023
-
But the strength of the set-up here is undeniable, especially when TJ decides to reopen the backroom of his pub in order to offer free meals to both the Syrians and locals in dire straits.
—Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 May 2023
-
For those programs in dire straits, helmets may still be available via third-party suppliers online, but massive demand has led to price gouging.
—Nate Weitzer, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Sep. 2022
-
Public transportation systems are in dire straits as the Covid-19 pandemic has cut into their ridership and revenue.
—Matt McFarland, CNN, 16 Oct. 2020
-
Even in dire straits, these citizens took greater risks by venturing out under shelling to plant primitive gardens inside apartment blocks.
—Oleksandra Gaidai, CNN, 6 Dec. 2022
-
The fundraising reports also showed some campaigns in dire straits, including former Vice President Mike Pence’s campaign, which is racking up debt.
—Mark Murray, NBC News, 16 Oct. 2023
-
Marathon specialized in distressed assets: entities that are priced below their market value and are usually in dire straits.
—Michael Waters, The New Yorker, 4 Jan. 2024
-
President Joe Biden’s approval ratings, which are currently in dire straits, are likely to be key in determining whether Democrats hold or lose the majority in both chambers.
—Grace Segers, The New Republic, 8 Dec. 2021
Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in dire straits.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Last Updated: