on the rack

Idioms  

1. Under great stress, as in I was on the rack while I waited for the test results. This expression, alluding to a medieval instrument of torture to which the victim was fastened and stretched, has been used figuratively since the late 1500s. Shakespeare had it in The Merchant of Venice (3:2): “Let me choose, for as I am I live upon the rack.”

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Example Sentences

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on the rack

When more people shopped in physical stores, processing a return was often a matter putting an item back on the rack.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 17, 2025

Preston likens the strapless dress to a wedding cake, which she initially thought might be too much when it was on the rack.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2024

By the time Mainoo had put away the most glorious finish United were 2-1 up and Liverpool were the ones on the rack and Klopp looked like he was ready to explode on the touchline.

From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2024

The other woman buys the first pair on the rack, without even checking if it's her size.

From Salon ● Nov. 28, 2023

I freeze, hoping my ears were mistaken, but no: the sound of a bag being dropped, of a soft hat landing on the rack.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse