HIGH AND DRY Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

high and dry

adjective

Definition of high and dry

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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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 The drought that has plagued much of the Chesapeake Bay’s watershed during the first half of this year is causing strains to drinking water supplies, hurting crop output and leaving many rafters and boaters high and dry. — Jeremy Cox, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for high and dry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for high and dry

Adjective

The moment when the couple’s infant child is taken from them by the authorities is devastating, each of them capturing a sense of helpless isolation from themselves, their community and each other.

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
But the funding cuts mean more and more families like Zarmina's are left helpless.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of helpless

Adjective

Hasan was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back by law enforcement and now uses a wheelchair.

— Seung Min Kim, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
When her aunt Helena and paralyzed grandmother Regina arrive, the fragile boundaries between everyday life, ancestral superstition and Trina’s increasingly disturbing nightmares begin to collapse.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of paralyzed

Adjective

Powell said Escobar showed up to Friday’s meeting on-duty, with his crew on a fire engine, and called some board members incompetent.

— Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Court records obtained by CBS News Atlanta reveal that a judge declared 54-year-old Jonathan Hamby incompetent, putting him on a separate competency docket.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of incompetent

Browse Nearby Words

high

high and dry

high and low

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

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Synonyms of high and dry

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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