at bay

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.

Example Sentences

Surely, all of this will be enough to keep the company running smoothly and keep the critics at bay.

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At least on this sunny festival day, as incarcerated musicians play cheerfully in the courtyard, that violence feels temporarily at bay.

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Armed resistance groups control most of Rakhine and Chin States, and are holding the military at bay, and even driving it back in places.

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Our literature and other traditions tell us we have longed for but also feared a secular savior powerful enough to put these fears at bay.

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“You had to actually look at the tangible catalog that came in the mail to see what was for sale or physically drive to the store. These additional steps kept the consumer at bay.”

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Related Words

• captured www.thesaurus.com
• cornered