strait

Definition

a narrow passage, a tight spot, a place of pressure

A strait is a narrow channel of water, but it also captures the feeling of being pinched by forces on every side — exactly the mood of a week defined by the Strait of Hormuz, energy pressure, and high-stakes brinkmanship.

In Context

“This week, the world seems caught in a strait of its own making, where every shipment, statement, and silence tightens the current.”