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.
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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
Kelly left Notre Dame high and dry.
—Mike D. Sykes, For The Win, 10 Jan. 2025
The only instance in his coaching career was in 2018 when LeBron James left the Cavaliers high and dry with a rotation that nobody could win with.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for high and dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high and dry
Adjective
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His curveball induced one helpless swing from the Diamondbacks (26-23) after another.—
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Scheifele’s emotional and inspirational decision to play mere hours after his father’s unexpected death — to play for his dad, to play because of his dad — ended in cruel fashion, with Scheifele helpless in the penalty box.—
Adjective
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Caring for a paralyzed dog has not been without its challenges.—
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But some economists doubt that resilience will persist, with employers feeling paralyzed by Trump’s confusing on-again off-again tariff blitz.—
Adjective
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The grand jury also criticizes city officials for weak oversight and enforcement of their contract with the Humane Society, which requires the nonprofit to enforce leash laws at 400 city parks and other venues.—
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Thanks to a weak front sliding across Central Florida, Thursday will be a bit cooler than prior days.—
Adjective
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The Trump administration has pulled the plug on a program that provides legal help to immigrants who are determined mentally incompetent, according to a lawsuit filed by immigration legal groups.—
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City Council, do the right thing for once and put it on the ballot to overturn the requirement of requiring our incompetent city management to do this.—
Cite this Entry
“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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