strait

noun

Definition of straitnext
1
as in neck
a narrow body of water between two land masses as the ship headed east through the Strait of Gibraltar, Spain was on our left and Africa on our right

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in anguish
often straits plural a state of great suffering of body or mind in great straits over the loss of her mother's cherished necklace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun strait differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of strait are contingency, crisis, emergency, exigency, juncture, pinch, and straits. 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

In what contexts can contingency take the place of strait?

In some situations, the words contingency and strait are roughly equivalent. However, contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

When might crisis be a better fit than strait?

The words crisis and strait are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 strait?

The meanings of emergency and strait largely overlap; however, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

Where would exigency be a reasonable alternative to strait?

While the synonyms exigency and strait are close in meaning, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

When would juncture be a good substitute for strait?

The words juncture and strait can be used in similar contexts, but 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 strait?

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

come through in a pinch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strait That was the first success Stimpfle had in reaching someone across the strait. —Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026 But Johnson’s camp maintains the mayor is in no dire straits. —Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026 The front will stall out across the Florida straits, which will lead to spotty showers through Tuesday. —Lissette Gonzalez, CBS News, 11 Jan. 2026 Assembly budget advisor Jason Sisney said the state government was in better financial straits than anticipated, citing data from the State Controller’s Office. —Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for strait
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strait
  1. neck
  2. anguish
  3. channel
  4. distress
  5. sound
  6. pain
  7. bay
  8. agony
Noun
  • Across the street from Hamburguesas El Gordo, a Mexican street food spot on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, a 29-year-old arborist stood on a corner Wednesday morning wearing a black hooded jacket under a reflective vest and an orange whistle on a string around his neck.
    — Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Photographed on Thursday night, Rihanna wore Balenciaga’s back to front high neck sweater in slate gray with the matching wool maxi skirt and strappy black heels.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of neck
Noun
  • White’s dialogue is unsentimental but rife with anguish; Owen Teague and a seductive, destructive Abbey Lee give the pain its due.
    — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2026
  • His murder was met with fury and anguish.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Feb. 2026
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • How to stream The All-American Halftime Show halftime performance can be streamed on Turning Point USA social media channels, including YouTube, X, and Rumble.
    — Maria Francis, Oklahoman, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Celta endorsed and amplified the message through their club channels.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of channel
Noun
  • Office conversions to residential, especially in New York City, are also helping mitigate some of the distress.
    — Diana Olick, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Only four districts face significant fiscal distress — a decline from prior years.
    — John Manly, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Reiki, sound bathing, The Telepathy Tapes, tarot, Santa Claus, phrenology.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Every player had chosen a new note, no one had consulted, and yet the sound was ringingly coherent.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of sound
Noun
  • Personality traits such as mental toughness, discipline, high pain tolerance and persistence may also lead to worsened eating disorder risk and behaviors in athletes.
    — Emily Hemendinger, The Conversation, 13 Feb. 2026
  • And we are bound by ties of community, having attended the same summer camps, showed up at each other’s family celebrations, and felt each other’s pain.
    — Lindsay Baach Friedmann, Time, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of pain
Noun
  • The rain moved into the region closer to San Francisco, including some areas in the East and South bays, in the afternoon, Murdock said.
    — Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • While social media debates whether their name is pronounced bet-tuh or bay-tuh, veterinarians tend to be more concerned with how they’re cared for than how they’re named.
    — Sierra Leone Starks, Parents, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of bay
Noun
  • Laocoön and His Sons, an exquisite marble sculpture of the legendary Trojan priest writhing in agony as he’s attacked by sea-serpents, was first unearthed in the early sixteenth-century, the only missing piece his right arm.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Steven McDonald, a fallen hero of the department who channeled the agony of three devastating gunshot wounds into an enduring message of peace and forgiveness.
    — Barry Williams, New York Daily News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of agony

Browse Nearby Words

strains
strait
straiten
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strait.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strait. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on strait

Nglish: Translation of strait for Spanish Speakers

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