"In a pickle" or "in a jam"

IDIOM

Think of a phrase that means more than the sum of its literal words.

The clue gives two common phrases—"in a pickle" and "in a jam"—that both describe being in a tough spot, but they’re not meant literally. Instead, they’re examples of expressions where the words together mean something different than their individual definitions. That’s the key: the answer is the term for such phrases, which is "idiom." It’s a straightforward definition clue pointing to the word itself.