back foot

British

noun

at a disadvantage; outmanoeuvred or outclassed by an opponent

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

back foot

The 20-year-old Italian has been on the back foot all weekend, fighting to make up for time lost to a reliability problem in practice on Thursday.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Jefferson got the ball to Hale for a touchdown, rolling left and throwing off his back foot to find Jefferson in the back of the end zone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

The incumbent is also on the back foot when it comes to Brazilians' top concern: security.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

One of the biggest shifts that put Wachtell and its brethren on the back foot was a move away from the so-called lockstep model, in which partner pay is closely tied to seniority.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

I’m on the back foot already, embarrassed, ashamed.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023