to the wall Idiom, Proverb

to the wall

into a place from which there is no escape The credit agency pushed him to the wall and he finally had to declare bankruptcy.

backs to the wall

a homophobic comment and warning to fellow heterosexuals that contact with a gay male is likely or happening. From the misconception that all gay males will endevour, or want to have anal intercourse with any male

push sb to the wall

Idiom(s): push someone to the wall AND press someone to the wall

Theme: DOMINATION

to force someone into a position where there is only one choice to make; to put someone in a defensive position.
• There was little else I could do. They pushed me to the wall.
• When we pressed him to the wall, he told us where the cookies were hidden.

have one's back to the wall

Idiom(s): have one's back to the wall

Theme: DEFENSE

to be in a defensive position. (Informal.)
• He'll have to give in. He has his back to the wall.
• How can I bargain when I've got my back to the wall?

go to the wall

Idiom(s): go to the wall

Theme: FAILURE

to be defeated; to fail in business. (Informal.)
• We really went to the wall on that deal.
• The company went to the wall because of that contract. Now it's broke.

force sb to the wall

Idiom(s): force sb to the wall

Theme: FORCE

to push someone to an extreme position; to put someone into an awkward position.
• He wouldn't tell the truth until we forced him to the wall.
• They don't pay their bills until you drive them to the wall.

press sb to the wall

Back to the wall

If you have your back to the wall, you are in a difficult situation with very little room for manoeuvre.

back to the wall|back|back against the wall|wall

adv. phr. In a trap, with no way to escape; in bad trouble. The soldiers had their backs to the wall. He was in debt and could not get any help; his back was against the wall. The team had their backs to the wall in the second half.
Compare: BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, LAST DITCH, ON THE SPOT, UP AGAINST IT.

drive to the wall|drive|wall

v. phr. To defeat someone completely; to ruin someone. Poor Uncle Jack was driven to the wall by his angry creditors when his business failed.
Compare: GO TO THE WALL.

to the wall|to|wall

adv. phr. Into a place from which there is no escape; into a trap or corner.

Usually used after "drive" or a similar word. John's failing the last test drove him to the wall. The score was 12-12 in the last minute of play, but a touchdown forced the visitors to the wall. Bill had to sell his five Great Danes. The high cost of feeding them was driving him to the wall.

go to the wall

1. To go bankrupt. If the aggregation loses money afresh this quarter, it will go to the bank eventually than later.2. To deeply abutment addition or article behindhand of any adversity one ability acquire as a result. I would go to the bank for you, so I'll absolutely endorse you on the attack trail.3. To crop or abide to addition or something. Despite putting alternating our best effort, we went to the bank and came home losers.Learn more: go, wall

go to the bank (on something)

to booty on abundant accident or to authority out to the actual aftermost on some issue. I will go to the bank on this point. This is a actual important amount and I will go to the bank if necessary.Learn more: go, wall

go to the wall

1. Lose a conflict, be defeated; also, yield. For example, In animosity of their efforts, they went to the wall, or When it's a amount of ancestors against friends, accompany charge go to the wall. [Late 1500s]
2. Fail in business, go bankrupt. For example, First one annex and again addition did poorly, and the abundance assuredly went to the wall. [First bisected of 1800s]
3. Take an acute position, authority out to the end. For example, The President went to the bank to avert his best to arch the FBI. For a synonym, see go to the mat. Learn more: go, wall

go to the wall

BRITISH
COMMON
1. If a actuality or aggregation goes to the wall, they lose all their money and their business fails. Over the aftermost year, two football clubs accept gone to the wall. A absolute of 1,776 companies went to the bank in the three months to March.
2. If you are accommodating to go to the wall for a actuality or a principle, you abutment them so acerb that you are able to ache for them. Above all, he prizes loyalty. He'll go to the bank for addition or article he believes in. This man will go to the bank for you if you're on his side. Note: One account for this announcement is that it refers to addition who is trapped with their aback to a bank and no way of escape. Addition account is that it refers to medieval chapels in which advantageous bodies acclimated to stand, but which had seats about the walls for ailing people. A third account is that it refers to addition continuing in advanced of a bank afore actuality accomplished by a battlefront squad. Learn more: go, wall

go to the wall

1 (of a business) fail; go out of business. 2 abutment addition or something, no amount what the amount to yourself. informalLearn more: go, wall

go to the ˈwall

(informal) abort because of abridgement of money: Smaller companies are consistently the aboriginal to go to the bank in an bread-and-butter recession.Learn more: go, wall

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Dictionary

More Idioms/Phrases

to the full to the good to the hilt to the letter to the manner born to the nth degree to the queen's taste to the tune of to the wall to-be toe the line together with toll call toll free tone down tongue twister tongue-in-cheek to the life to the manner born to the manner/manor born to the marrow to the max to the minute to the nines to the nth degree to the point to the point of (something or of doing something) to the point of something/of doing something to the purpose to the quick to the rafters to the skies to the teeth to the tune of to the tune of $500, etc. to the tune of (some amount of money) to the tune of something to the verge of (something) to the victor belong the spoils to the victor go the spoils to the victor, the spoils To the victors belong the spoils to the wall to the wind to thine own self be true to think (that) to think... to this day to this end to top it all (off) to top/cap/crown it all to up to up from the flo up to' up from the flo' up to wake the dead, loud enough to way of thinking To what do I owe the honor? To what do I owe the pleasure? to whom it may concern to whom this may concern to windward to windward of to windward of (something) to wit to within an inch of your life to your bones to your bootstraps to your cost