in a fix

Idioms  

1. Also,. In a difficult or embarrassing situation, in a dilemma. For example, I was really in a fix when I missed the plane, or Lost and out of gas—how did we get in such a pickle? or John had lost all his money in the crap game—now he was in a spot. The first of these colloquial usages dates from the early 1800s; pickle in the sense of a mess or quandary, sometimes put as in a pretty pickle, dates from the 1500s; spot, also put as, dates from the early 1900s. Also see in a bind; in deep, def. 2; in the soup; in trouble; on the spot.

---

Example Sentences

But he’s in a fix, surrounded by mood shifts, challenges and bad signs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

"For many of us they've been the scene of memorable moments in our own lives from furtive conversations with first boyfriends to desperate calls home when we've been in a fix," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2023

Since potato gnocchi typically calls for boiled-then-riced potatoes, flour, and perhaps egg yolks, it makes sense that you could utilize your leftover mash for gnocchi in a fix, right?

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2021

But the situation leaves even well-intentioned men in a fix.

From The Guardian • Feb. 17, 2018

‘Well, master, we’re in a fix and no mistake,’ said Sam Gamgee.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien