in a pinch

idiom

: in a bad situation when help is needed

I can help out in a pinch if you need a babysitter.

In a pinch, you can substitute another ingredient in the recipe.

Examples of in a pinch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The studios’ cost-cutting strategy has left writers in a pinch. —

Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024 Pickling is best done with fresh strawberries, but frozen can be used in a pinch. —

Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 12 May 2024 Needham could be utilized there as a nickel cornerback, and someone who could work on the boundary in a pinch, and seemingly, someone who roam the back end of the secondary at safety. —

Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 9 May 2024 All your apps are either too slow or too cumbersome to whip open in a pinch. —

Boone Ashworth, WIRED, 3 May 2024 Compact, portable power stations are good backup power options for those in smaller spaces (think condos or apartments) and are often suitable for powering smaller home appliances in a pinch. —

Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 19 Apr. 2024 Here are 15 of our favorites, with versatile uses ranging from wearing as a skirt or dress to using as a picnic blanket, travel blanket, or shawl in a pinch. —

Barbara Bellesi Zito, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2024 Kamara fell back into this technique when a client of hers came to her in need of boho braids in a pinch. —

Annie Blay, Allure, 16 Apr. 2024 According to the brand, the bench and seat cushions offer plenty of ergonomic comfort and also come with easy-to-wash covers that can be zipped on or off in a pinch. —

Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in a pinch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.