back to the wall
Out of options
Back to the wall describes a desperate situation with no room for retreat or evasion—you must stand and fight or face consequences.
The image is of someone cornered, forced to confront what's in front of them: With creditors calling daily and rent due Friday, she had her back to the wall.
Often appears as backs against the wall when referring to groups facing a crisis together.
- corneredUnable to flee
- pressuredUrged with insistence
- desperateDriven by urgent need
- fight or flightThreat-triggered physiological state
- last standUltimate defensive effort
survival tactics · resilience · trapped · defensive · on the ropes · grit · improvisation · impasse · endangered · threatened · besieged · tenacity · bind · difficult · adversity · constrained · predicament · crisis
- hardshipshardship, adversity, struggle, misfortune, difficulties
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- pressureair pressure, blood pressure rise, blood pressure drop, barometric pressure, apply pressure
back to the wallin the driver's seat
Having control or authority
holding all the cards · in control · on top · sitting pretty · calling the shots
back to the wallsitting pretty
In favorable circumstances
safe and sound · out of danger · at ease · out of the woods · home free
back, backs, backed, backing, backer, backmost, backward, backwards, wall