Idiom: up against something
Meaning
Idiom: up against something (also: up against it)
- in opposition with something / someone
- facing a serious difficulty or problem
Example sentences
— In her next match, she’s up against a much more difficult player.
— I can’t go out tonight because I’m up against a tough deadline and have to work.
— Farmers are up against it again this year because of extremely dry conditions.
— Today, we're up against a tremendous virus that's causing a worldwide pandemic.
— Unfortunately, my husband lost his job a few months ago. We are really up against it now.
— Do we really want to bring a child in a world that's up against so many challenges from deadly pandemics to global climate change?
— Once we get to the ski resort you see what you're really up against. The slopes are fantastic.
— As a black kid from a poor family I was sometimes scared to go up against the kids from wealthy families but I actually did well on the debate team.
— He performs best when he's up against serious competition with the clock running out.
— Sorry we cannot join you for drinks. John is up against several deadlines this month.
— The incumbent senator is finally up against a difficult challenger in the primary elections.
— In law school you're going to be up against so many other talented students.
— After the economic crash many families found themselves up against it.
— I worked and studied part-time at a state university instead of taking out student loans. I didn't want to be up against it for 30 years like my sister.
Synonyms
- up against the wall
- be in dire straits
- be (caught) stuck between a rock and a hard place
- out of your depth
- under the gun
- up to your eye/nose/neck in something
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- Idiom: Up against something
