false position

British

noun

a situation in which a person is forced to act or seems to be acting against his principles or interests

"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.

Newcastle are 12th and have been very average at times, but they strike me as being a team who are in a false position, compared to what they are capable of.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2024

To some extent it’s a false position: at times they have looked excellent, especially in beating Everton and Manchester United, but they have also suffered exasperating defeats against Watford and Wolves among others.

From The Guardian • Oct. 31, 2021

Ships suspected of smuggling have long modified their physical appearance or broadcast false position data, said the report from C4ADS, a non-profit group.

From Reuters • Sep. 9, 2021

Until we do that, he continued, “We are in a false position, an illogical position — a position that cannot be defended.”

From New York Times • Feb. 15, 2020

Among this good company I should have felt myself, even if I hadn’t robbed the pantry, in a false position.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

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