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 By Saturday evening, Savannah's Richmond Hill neighborhood was transformed into a network of canals navigable by skiff boat, or in a pinch, recreational paddle boards. —

Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 12 Aug. 2024 Out festival in Australia, and like a week or two before Christmas, our drummer at the time, Jay Weinberg, quit and left us in a pinch. —

Josh Chesler, SPIN, 6 Aug. 2024 Protect an in-ground lemon tree from a freeze by wrapping it in frost cloth or, in a pinch, blankets. —

Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 July 2024 My favorite barbecue joint in town, a place that could have bottled and sold its own authenticity in a pinch, was Parchie’s, which was just down the street from my house. —

John Jeremiah Sullivan, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for in a pinch

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.