against the tide
IdiomsExample 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 felt I was swimming against the tide and every single nudge went against me. I missed more than too many balls to win that match."
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
"Nova Scotia has the highest tides in the world -- when we're working there, we're racing against the tide, when the ocean comes back in," says Mann.
From Science Daily • Feb. 11, 2026
As the sun rose on a chilly morning in central London, Roxana Panozo Alba walked against the tide of suited-up bankers whose offices she spent the night cleaning.
From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025
Even with a long-term extension, these insurers could be swimming against the tide for years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025
She tried to turn against the tide, to get away while there was still time, but she was caught in the chattering, laughing trap of factory girls pushing themselves forward into the new day.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
