up against a/the wall
idiom
informal
: in a very bad position or situation
The team was up against a wall in the first half of the game.
Examples of up against a/the wall in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Make Use of Your Favorite Serving Tray Garden displays a gorgeous silver platter in the very back of one of her cabinet shelves, leaning up against the wall.
—
Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2025
But as France discovered, Germany can be a menace even when their backs are up against the wall.
—Oli Gamp, New York Times, 23 July 2025
Popular among both yogis and TikTok wellness fans, putting your legs up against a wall can help calm your nervous system and drain stagnant lymph and fluid that accumulates in the lower limbs.
—Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 26 July 2025
And watching Terry's run was so inspiring to me to see somebody who's back is up against the wall time after time after time after time rise up to the challenge.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for up against a/the wall
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Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2025
But as France discovered, Germany can be a menace even when their backs are up against the wall.
—Oli Gamp, New York Times, 23 July 2025
Popular among both yogis and TikTok wellness fans, putting your legs up against a wall can help calm your nervous system and drain stagnant lymph and fluid that accumulates in the lower limbs.
—Morgan Fargo, Vogue, 26 July 2025
And watching Terry's run was so inspiring to me to see somebody who's back is up against the wall time after time after time after time rise up to the challenge.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for up against a/the wall
Cite this Entry
“Up against a/the wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/up%20against%20a%2Fthe%20wall. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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