idiom · informal
in a tight spot
UK/ɪn ə taɪt spɒt/US/ɪn ə taɪt spɑːt/in·a·TIGHT·SPOT
in a difficult or awkward situation, needing a difficult decision
Examples
“I'm in a tight spot because I promised to help both friends at the same time.”
“The coach was in a tight spot when two key players were injured.”
“Local businesses were in a tight spot during the long power outage.”
Band 8 sentence
“Faced with conflicting deadlines and limited resources, the project manager found herself in a tight spot and had to prioritise ruthlessly.”
Collocations
- put somebody in a tight spot
- be in a tight spot
Word family
Common mistakes
I put him in a tight spoted.→I put him in a tight spot.
She is on a tight spot.→She is in a tight spot.
Say it for a higher band
5in trouble→6in a difficult situation→7+in a tight spot
Synonyms
in a difficult situation
in a pickle
Easily confused
in a pickle
“When he forgot his notes, he was really in a pickle during the presentation.”
Related words
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