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 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 But the scenes in which David is fully up against it — a breakdown while talking to the 911 operator; an unnerving near-disaster of a day at the beach with his young daughter — feel like excursions into a different movie. Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2023 And what can ordinary people do to go up against it? Chris Willman, Variety, 5 June 2023 That helps their cap situation out a great deal, but Dallas is still up against it, already with over $80 million worth of cap allocations for the 2023-24 season. Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 4 June 2023 The players from the seaside town of North Berwick were up against it in the clash against local favorites Mill AFC. James Hookway, WSJ, 28 Sep. 2022 In Red Lodge, Montana, the waters of Rock Creek jumped their banks, washed over a bridge and slammed into a house that lay on its side as the current continued to push up against it. Fox News, 17 June 2022 The Timberwolves are up against it and facing elimination ahead of game 6. Xl Media, cleveland, 29 Apr. 2022 If Beaupit can’t go, Spokane is really up against it. Dylan Bumbarger, oregonlive, 9 Feb. 2022

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

Cite this Entry

“Up against it.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/up%20against%20it. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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