strait

noun

  1. a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water —often used in plural but singular in construction

  2. isthmus

  3. a narrow space or passage

juncture exigency emergency contingency pinch strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events. exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

adjective

  1. causing distress : difficult

  2. limited as to means or resources

  3. strict, rigorous

adverb

  1. in a close or tight manner