ran the gauntlet

Ran the gauntlet means endured a series of attacks, criticisms, or hardships in sequence.

The original gauntlet was a military punishment where a person ran between two rows of soldiers who struck them as they passed.

Now it describes any ordeal requiring passage through sustained hostility or difficulty: She ran the gauntlet of reporters outside the courthouse.

Sometimes spelled "ran the gantlet," though gauntlet dominates modern usage.