in a pinch

Idioms

In an emergency, when hard-pressed, as in This music isn't what I would have chosen, but it will do in a pinch. This term dates from the late 1400s, when it was put as at a pinch (a usage still current in Britain); pinch alludes to straitened circumstances.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

From what you say, you could, in theory, use your 50% share and a portion of your $500,000 liquid savings, if you were in a pinch, so try to put those bad dreams to bed.

From MarketWatch

They aren’t very environmentally friendly, but in a pinch they provide a lot of light.

From Literature

In a pinch, we could just use water.

From Literature

Rice is a given—I nearly always have extra bags on hand—and in a pinch I could grill the chicken, sauté the beef, add some vegetables, and eat variations on miso-butter rice all week long.

From Salon

Beef is more expensive than ever, and while many restaurants are feeling the squeeze, steakhouses are particularly in a pinch given their reliance on sales of dishes with a juicy porterhouse or rib-eye.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023