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

Her back is up against the wall, and losing or not having a little bit of support in a season is very upsetting. —EW.com, 12 June 2024

Vallejo then allegedly pushed him up against the wall and pressed his right forearm into his neck. —Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 9 May 2024

Vallejo then allegedly put the victim up against the wall and pushed his forearm to his neck, choking him, according to the warrant affidavit. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2024

When someone approaches, Tom, needing to make his possible alibi work, turns away, slamming his own body into Freddie’s up against a wall and kissing him passionately on the lips. —Mark Harris, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2024

In another shot, Kerr showed four pairs of white shoes lined up against a wall. —Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024

Meanwhile, Dorrey, who is 25, is posted up against the wall, chatting everyone up in a jeans and boot combo fit for Kris Kristofferson in Convoy, a brown Telfar bag on his arm. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 2 Feb. 2024

Jeffrey Wright plays a frustrated academic up against the wall of what Black books must be to sell. —Leanne Italie, Quartz, 2 Mar. 2024

Rafe ends up pushing Ward up against a wall and threatens him to leave town... or else. —Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 28 Feb. 2023