swim against the current

Idioms  

1. Also,. Go against prevailing opinion or thought, as in I'm voting for him even if that is swimming against the current. Shakespeare used a similar metaphor in 2 Henry IV (5:2): “You must now speak Sir John Falstaff fair, which swims against your stream.” For the antonym, see swim with the tide.

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Example Sentences

Advice if caught includes to not try and swim against the current, but rather try and head parallel to the shore until free from its grip.

From BBC

It will cause approaching fish to tingle unpleasantly and, if they push farther into the electrode array, be stunned so they can't swim against the current.

From Salon

They’re put into tanks, where they will learn to swim against the current, and get big enough to be moved to saltwater tanks to grow into adults.

From Seattle Times

When you swim against the current, you’re acutely aware of it.

From Slate

Because rat snakes like to swim, the staff sometimes turn on the water and allow it to swim against the current — another exercise that Riley said helped build up muscle strength for its return to the wild.

From Washington Post