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 This is the second Taiwan Strait transit carried out by the Japanese navy since September 2024, when destroyer JS Sazanami navigated the waterway with Australian and New Zealand vessels, becoming Japan's first warship to transit the strait since World War II. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025 The Chinese military is massing troops in Fujian Province and an armada offshore, just across the strait from Taiwan. —Michael Brown, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 The stakes of these discussions—which have involved charges of Eurocentrism, head-in-the-sand elitism, even white supremacy—have at times felt existential, given many institutions’ financial straits. —Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025 Underlying the discord is money, or how to provide more resources to a school district in financial straits. —Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025 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
  • Hahn: Agatha wears this locket around her neck with Hecate — the maiden, mother, crone.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 12 June 2025
  • However, the study did not show a substantial change in whole-body or femoral neck bone density.3 5.
    — Jennifer Steinhoff, Verywell Health, 12 June 2025
Definition of neck
Noun
  • Among the thousands left in anguish is Sasha Escalante, a 44-year-old Venezuelan radio producer living in Miami.
    — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
  • Criminalizing them can lead to extended mental anguish.
    — Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025
Definition of anguish
Noun
  • Watson has not publicly commented on the lawsuit but continues to post videos to his YouTube channel.
    — Theo Karantsalis, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
  • Most of the group’s meetups are virtual: either via weekly video calls or messaging on the SDC Discord channel.
    — Matt Villano, CNN Money, 13 June 2025
Definition of channel
Noun
  • The report highlights research on young adults that shows that trans students who participate in collegiate sports are less likely to experience distress, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
    — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 6 June 2025
  • That places an onerous burden on Henson, doing her considerable best trying to sustain a role whose Job-like travails crank the distress level to 11 too soon.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 June 2025
Definition of distress
Noun
  • Simz, known for her introspective lyrics and innovative sound, brings together a lineup that reflects her musical journey and influences.
    — Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Move indoors at the first sign of threatening skies or the first sound of thunder.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 8 June 2025
Definition of sound
Noun
  • Tattoos Health Risk #2: Long-Term Skin Problems Roughly 10% of people with tattoos experience chronic skin conditions, such as itching, redness, swelling or pain can last long after the original tattoo heals.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 13 June 2025
  • Installing them for every site that offered them could be a pain, though.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 13 June 2025
Definition of pain
Noun
  • The sailing club is one of the oldest in the nation, founded by Chicago businessmen in 1897, keeping sailboats on its property and racing them on the bay.
    — Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 June 2025
  • There, the participants have the choice to kayak in the bay, go wine tasting, visit a floating sauna, or try snowshoeing.
    — Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
Definition of bay
Noun
  • And that gave him some kind of legitimacy after 40 years of agony, derided by the music press.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2025
  • For more than a year, the Perry family waited in agony for answers.
    — Christina Coulter, People.com, 7 June 2025
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 20 Jun. 2025.

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