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
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.
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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
Toddler girl wearing striped shorts and vest set propping her baby doll up against a wall to take a photo.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
We’re used to a couch pressed up against the wall, but a curvy couch deserves to be in the middle of a room, its curves contrasting with four square walls.
—Dina Cheney, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for up against a/the wall
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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
Toddler girl wearing striped shorts and vest set propping her baby doll up against a wall to take a photo.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 July 2025
We’re used to a couch pressed up against the wall, but a curvy couch deserves to be in the middle of a room, its curves contrasting with four square walls.
—Dina Cheney, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 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 4 Aug. 2025.
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