in the throes

In the midst of, especially of a difficult struggle. For example, The country was in the throes of economic collapse, or We were in the throes of giving a formal dinner when my in-laws arrived. The noun throe, meaning “a severe pang or spasm of pain,” was at first used mainly for such physical events as childbirth or dying. Today it is used both seriously (first example) and more lightly (second example). [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

After the footage surfaced, Osment said in a statement that he was “absolutely horrified by my behavior ... in the throes of a blackout.”

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Haley Joel Osment says he was “in the throes of a blackout” when he called a police officer a Jewish slur following his arrest at the Mammoth Mountain ski resort earlier this month.

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While most “Mission: Impossible” films depict the public unaware of the catastrophic events the IMF is preventing right under our noses, “Final Reckoning” finds society in the throes of collapse.

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Joe’s mindset is that of a person in the throes of a dependency-level behavioral addiction.

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A sustained pull back in housing development could have big implications for a city in the throes of an affordability and budgetary crisis.

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in the teeth of in the twinkling of an eye

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