at bay

Idioms  

1. Cornered, in distress, as in Angry bystanders chased the thief into an alley and held him at bay until the police arrived. This idiom originally came from hunting, where it describes an animal that has been driven back and now faces pursuing hounds. Its use for other situations dates from the late 1500s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at bay

She subsequently underwent brain surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in an effort to keep the cancer at bay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Ghana spent large periods sitting in a defensive shape and ultimately managed to keep Tuchel's side at bay.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

But other factors also kept market panic at bay after shipping effectively ended through the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway between Oman and Iran.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 18, 2026

That remains to be seen—and whether it will keep AI fears at bay.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

He would run till Buck’s head was even with his flank, when he would whirl around at bay, only to dash away again at the first opportunity.

From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

Related Words

• captured
• cornered