dire straits

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though not in dire straits, it isn’t exactly healthy, either.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Some people are in more dire straits financially than others, of course, but everyone needs support from time to time.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

Storm-ravaged communities in western Jamaica were facing dire straits Sunday, days after record-setting Hurricane Melissa left towns demolished and at least 28 people dead across the island.

From Barron's • Nov. 2, 2025

After all, her next book is a roman à clef about Gala, and writing about a woman who might be in dire straits would be exploitative.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 1, 2025

I would be in the direst of dire straits, facing a bleak future, when some small thing, some detail, would transform itself and appear in my mind in a new light.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel