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

This will keep widespread rainfall at bay meaning most areas remain largely, or completely, dry.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

That’s because, for decades, O’Connor and Kennedy kept it at bay.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

If there’s only one of you, you have to hole up just to keep the world at bay.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• captured
• cornered