A bad situation is a difficult or unpleasant circumstance that requires attention and effort to resolve. In this case, the solutions to the crossword are 'FIX, ' 'JAM, ' and 'MESS, ' which all describe aspects of a bad situation. Fixing something implies that it is broken and needs to be repaired. Jamming suggests that something is stuck or blocked, while a MESS implies disorder and chaos. All three words can be used to describe a bad situation.