in a bind

Idioms  

1. Also,. In a difficult, threatening, or embarrassing position; also, unable to solve a dilemma. For example, He's put us in a bind: we can't refuse, but at the same time we can't fill the order, or Jim's in a box; he can't afford to pay what he owes us, or He quit without giving notice and now we're really in a hole, or We always end up in a jam during the holiday season, or He's in a tight corner with those new customers, or We'll be in a tight spot unless we can find another thousand dollars. All these colloquial terms allude to places from which one can't easily extricate oneself. The phrase using bind was first recorded in 1851; box, 1865; jam, 1914; tight spot, 1852. Also see in a fix.

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Example Sentences

This all leaves the Federal Reserve in a bind.

From Barron's

The bond vigilantes —to borrow a term economist Ed Yardeni used to describe the activist fixed-income investors who tried to rein in inflation in the 1980s—have European governments in a bind already.

From Barron's

The bond vigilantes —to borrow a term economist Ed Yardeni used to describe the activist fixed-income investors who tried to rein in inflation in the 1980s—have European governments in a bind already.

From Barron's

Staffing stocks and other employment-related shares could be in a bind unless there is evidence that the recent weakness in the labor market isn’t going to get worse heading into 2026.

From Barron's

However, if joblessness edges toward 5.0%, fueled by disruptions in global trade—particularly those affecting China, Australia’s largest trading partner—the RBA could soon find itself in a bind.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• belated
• delayed
• delinquent
• overdue
• sluggish