back to the wall

ADJECTIVE

desperate

Synonyms

STRONGEST

despondent forlorn futile sad vain

STRONG

downcast goner

WEAK

at end of one's rope can't win dead duck despairing desponding gone hard up in the soup in the toilet inconsolable irrecoverable irremediable irretrievable no chance no-win running out of time sunk up against it up the creek useless wretched

Antonyms

STRONGEST

cheerful happy hopeful joyful

WEAK

calm confident content contented satisfactory satisfied secure unworried

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I very much had my back to the wall," he said.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025

He quickly peels the banana and nonchalantly eats it while the camera rolls, before taping the peel back to the wall.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2023

Now she had her back to the wall.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2023

“Once I saw him running back to the wall, I was thinking in my head, ‘Oh, please just don’t catch it, just don’t catch it.’”

From Washington Times • Oct. 29, 2022

I stood with my back to the wall, remembering too much of another time, as I watched her rub carefully under the chin and in the folds at the backs of the elbows and knees.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

back to the wall

Example Sentences

Related Words