Synonyms of straits

straits

noun

plural of strait

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind

in great straits over the loss of her mother's cherished necklace

Synonyms & Similar Words

• distress
• anguish
• agony
• pain
• sorrow
• misery
• sadness
• tribulation
• woe
• excruciation
• torment
• hurt
• torture
• rack
• travail
• affliction
• hardship
• discomfort
• cross
• emergency
• crucible
• unhappiness
• heartbreak
• heartache
• danger
• jeopardy
• difficulty
• ache
• joylessness
• pang
• trial
• pinch
• soreness
• trouble
• asperity
• rigor
• stitch
• twinge
• throe
• smarting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• relief
• consolation
• comfort
• solace
• ease
• security
• alleviation
• peace
• assuagement
• well-being

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun straits differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of straits are contingency, crisis, emergency, exigency, juncture, pinch, and strait. While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

When is contingency a more appropriate choice than straits?

The synonyms contingency and straits are sometimes interchangeable, but contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

In what contexts can crisis take the place of straits?

The meanings of crisis and straits largely overlap; however, crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

When is it sensible to use emergency instead of straits?

In some situations, the words emergency and straits are roughly equivalent. However, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

When might exigency be a better fit than straits?

While in some cases nearly identical to straits, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

When can juncture be used instead of straits?

Although the words juncture and straits have much in common, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

How is pinch related to other words for straits?

Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of straits

Greg Daniels, who co-created all three shows, has said that the newsroom setting was attractive because newspapers play a vital democratic role but are in increasingly dire straits—zombified by unscrupulous owners who come in and cut the journalism to the bone. —Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025

What’s more, the school itself appears to be in dire financial straits with a $200 million operating deficit — not exactly ideal conditions to buy out one of the fattest contracts in college sports. —Greg Beacham, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025

The system is also expected to account for existing defenses around key regions, notably in Ankara and along the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, while addressing new security requirements such as protecting the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. —Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2025

America's largest health care companies are in dire financial straits, with some of the biggest names on the chopping block as the remainder battle economic headwinds. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Aug. 2025

Her famous parents, Ronn Owens and former KCBS news anchor Jan Black, also are in dire financial straits. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025

Turkey controls the Black Sea’s gates—the Bosporus and the Dardanelles—under the Montreux Convention, which governs passages through the Turkish straits in and out of the Black Sea. —Galip Dalay, Time, 19 Aug. 2025

The move also left Nevermore in dire financial straits, given his endowment, which is now a major plot point of the season. —Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025

Who knew Nevermore was in such dire financial straits? —Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 6 Aug. 2025