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.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

at bay

Putting off the paperwork might be her way of keeping at bay the reality that her time with her partner is dwindling.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

Keeping the encroaching natural world at bay is a struggle in neighborhoods adjacent to Los Angeles County’s wildlands.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

Ghana spent large periods sitting in a defensive shape and ultimately managed to keep Tuchel's side at bay.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

Young and beautiful and luminous and alive, keeping the darkness at bay if only for that brief moment.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Related Words

• captured
• cornered