as in helpless
unable to act or achieve one's purpose
the inadequate supplies of vaccine left many people high and dry when the flu season arrived
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Recent Examples of high and dry
But her wife ended up leaving her and left her high and dry.
—
Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
The Cowboys have been left high and dry after mismanaging their RB room, all while Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb continue to try to make ends meet.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2025
President-elect Trump repeatedly blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for water unavailability, after efforts to fill massive storage tanks left fire hydrants high and dry.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
And while the company has sports rights, its hoards them for CBS and Paramount+, leaving the cable channels high and dry.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for high and dry
Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2025
The Cowboys have been left high and dry after mismanaging their RB room, all while Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb continue to try to make ends meet.
—Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Jan. 2025
President-elect Trump repeatedly blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for water unavailability, after efforts to fill massive storage tanks left fire hydrants high and dry.
—Sharon Udasin, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
And while the company has sports rights, its hoards them for CBS and Paramount+, leaving the cable channels high and dry.
—Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for high and dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high and dry
Adjective
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Bailey's predicament isn't the first time a dog has found itself in an amusingly helpless situation.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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The Flames’ penalty kill was the NHL’s best in March before Monday (95.5 percent), but the Maple Leafs made the group look helpless with one goal from William Nylander and two by Matthews.—
Nick Ashbourne,
The Athletic,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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It's used for amputees, paralyzed drivers and those suffering from hip displacement issues.—
Swish Goswami,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Two people have been convicted on conspiracy and murder charges for their role in a triple shooting in Hartford in 2021 that left one man dead, another paralyzed and a third victim injured.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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Cleanup crews noted the tree’s root system was very weak.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Long Bright River, whose eight-episode season will stream in full on March 13, is neither a transcendent nor an incompetent example of this type of show.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
12 Mar. 2025
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Of course, people love making memes that portray their political adversaries as hapless and incompetent.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
8 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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