up against a/the wall

phrase

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

And felt the weight of his body pressing me up against a wall. — Caroline Goldstein, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2026

This guy's leaning against the wall with his left leg, boot heel up against the wall, smoking. — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026

But Democrats could not resist the opportunity to push Republicans up against the wall and associate them with Obamacare premium increases. — Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026

Carpenter, who is wearing a white turtleneck dress and kitten heels, is leaning up against the wall and holding a flower made of Pringles. — Sabrina Weiss, PEOPLE, 14 Jan. 2026