up against it
idiom
informal
: in a difficult situation
With hardly any money or time left, we are really up against it!
Examples of up against it in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Additionally, quarantines can push populations to rally with the government, rather than rise up against it, says Sidharth Kaushal, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.
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Brad Lendon, CNN, 21 June 2024
The Soviet Union fell apart not only because the Georgians, the Lithuanians, the Ukrainians, and other non-Russians rose up against it but also because the Russians themselves did.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
Entrepreneurs today do seem to be wiser to the symptoms of overwork and are more likely to make time for rest and exercise, even when up against it.
—Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The birds’ problem-solving tasks included things like removing a lid or piercing a piece of foil to retrieve a treat, while the self-control test involved navigating around a transparent barrier—rather than butting up against it—to reach food.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for up against it 
Brad Lendon, CNN, 21 June 2024
The Soviet Union fell apart not only because the Georgians, the Lithuanians, the Ukrainians, and other non-Russians rose up against it but also because the Russians themselves did.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020
Entrepreneurs today do seem to be wiser to the symptoms of overwork and are more likely to make time for rest and exercise, even when up against it.
—Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
The birds’ problem-solving tasks included things like removing a lid or piercing a piece of foil to retrieve a treat, while the self-control test involved navigating around a transparent barrier—rather than butting up against it—to reach food.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2023
See all Example Sentences for up against it
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'up against it.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near up against it
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“Up against it.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/up%20against%20it. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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