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Synonyms

strapped

American  
[strapt] / stræpt /

adjective

  1. needy; wanting.

    The company is rather strapped for funds.
strapped British  
/ stræpt /

adjective

  1. slang badly in need (of money, manpower, etc); short of

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • well-strapped adjective

Etymology

Origin of strapped

First recorded in 1775–85; strap + -ed 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Most of all though, I just couldn't quite grasp that there were four human beings strapped into their seats at the top of a 98m-tall rocket on their way to the Moon.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

They were reportedly strapped into a jumpseat for landing and were found strapped into that same seat by rescue crews.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

Some workers complain that receiving calls and messages can interrupt their recordings, and having a phone strapped to their head is uncomfortable.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

He travels at roughly 5:20-mile pace, uphill, with his feet strapped to carbon-fiber planks, after he’s skied at top speed for several minutes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

She walked the city again, for hours at a time, Pearl strapped to her back in a sling she’d fashioned from an old silk blouse.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.