high and dry

adjective

Definition of high and drynext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 high and dry If everything goes to plan — and with no relief from the weather — Flaming Gorge will fall by as much as 27 feet (8 meters) a year from now, leaving Buckboard Marina even more high and dry. — ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Mel is likely mad at the lawyers running her depositions, and her sister for leaving her high and dry on the Fourth of July. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2026 When her professor, predictably, leaves her high and dry, Margo drops out of college and makes an OnlyFans account as a last ditch effort to get some quick cash. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2026 And your card perks can step in when an airline leaves you high and dry during a delay. — Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 19 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for high and dry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for high and dry
  1. helpless
  2. paralyzed
  3. weak
  4. incompetent
Adjective
  • The wartime mood among European and American intellectuals was hopeless, or, rather, in her estimation, helpless.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026
  • And the sport — players in uniform and executives in suits alike — all march toward the cliff in shackles of their own design, seemingly helpless to find a compromise.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of helpless
Adjective
  • Their mother was lying in the yard after jumping out a second-story window, and remains paralyzed from the waist down.
    — Michael Casey, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Hines, 66, has seized on the problems with the previous execution, saying his health issues — including two strokes that left him partially paralyzed — increase the risk of difficulties at his execution.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of paralyzed
Adjective
  • Many forex brokers respond to weak rankings by publishing more market guides, adding country pages and building links.
    — David Ispiryan, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Slow money growth means weak nominal growth and low inflation, which in turn keeps interest rates and bond yields depressed—and the yen weak.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of weak
Adjective
  • The idea that government, which has been defined as incompetent and inefficient for decades, could provide grocery abundance and variety better than Walmart and Costco has triggered a visceral reaction among critics.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • His costly miscalculation exploded into a life-and-death war fiasco that an incompetent and dishonest administration is now incapable of ending.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of incompetent

Browse Nearby Words

high
high and dry
high and low
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“High and dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/high%20and%20dry. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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