strait

Then, a massive flood burst through volcanic barriers to open the Bab el-Mandab strait and reconnect the Red Sea with the world's oceans.

“I’m calling it what it is,” said Barger, noting that school districts across the state now find themselves in similarly dire financial straits.

Several firms were already in dire financial straits.

About a year later, a second canine appears to have made the trip, potentially enticed by the first coyote’s calls echoing across the strait, she said.

Put it all together, and the U.S. economy is in dire straits, possibly heading toward a shoal.