idiom · informal
in a jam
/ɪn ə dʒæm/in·a·JAM
speakingtask2
to be in a difficult or awkward situation (informal)
Examples
“I was in a jam after missing my flight and had to rebook at once.”
“Can you help me? I'm in a jam with this project deadline.”
“He got himself in a jam by promising results he couldn't deliver.”
Band 8 sentence
“After revenues fell unexpectedly, the small company found itself in a jam but managed to renegotiate supplier contracts.”
Collocations
- be in a jam with + noun
- get someone into a jam
Word family
be in a jam phrase
Common mistakes
in jam→in a jam
in a traffic jam→in a jam (meaning trouble)
Say it for a higher band
5in trouble→6in a difficult spot→7+in a jam
Synonyms
in trouble
in a tight spot
Easily confused
in a bind
“I was in a jam when my grant was delayed and I couldn't pay rent.”
Related words
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