desperate straits

collocation in English

meaningsofdesperateandstrait

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withstrait.
desperate
adjective
uk
/ˈdes.pər.ət/us
/ˈdes.pɚ.ət/
very serious ...
See more atdesperate
strait
noun
uk
/streɪt/us
/streɪt/
a narrow area of sea that connects two larger areas ...
See more atstrait

(Definition ofdesperateandstraitfrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofdesperate straits

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
But these responsible and respectable members of society have been driven to thedesperatestraitof withdrawing their labour—although that phrase is not appropriate when applied to such workers.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
On the other hand, there are highly subsidised areas, the 'enclaves of poverty', zones of social-economic degradation where indigenous peoples may be in desperate straits.
From theCambridge English Corpus
Far from having laid the foundations for major advances, our schools are in desperate straits.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Constituencies, like mine are in desperate straits, and the tranquillity of which we have heard will be dispelled so far as we are concerned.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We have not at any rate been reduced to such desperate straits as that in our discussions.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
That industry is now starved of capital and is in most desperate straits.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
More and more women are in desperate straits as a result of this action.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Some of them may now find themselves in desperate straits.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Retailers of new cars are in a very difficult position, but the retailer of secondhand cars is in desperate straits.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Will he please see whether someone some day can do something to help these people who are in desperate straits?
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is not merely pig but arable farmers who are in desperate straits.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Often, people in desperate straits cannot wait a week for an appointment to request help from the social fund, or crisis loans.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
This is the very hallmark of civilisation, to allow people to claim conscientious objection when you were in such desperate straits.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
But in our desperate straits we must take steps to salvage that material concerned.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
At the height of the submarine war, when we were in desperate straits, they had something over 100 submarines at sea.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
He cannot leave this town and the people there in these desperate straits.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Eventually they were in desperate straits and had to give way.
From the
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Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
There are certain figures which do not seem to show that farming is in any such desperate straits all over as has been suggested.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
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See other collocations withstrait