up against

Idioms  

1. Contending or confronted with, as in I'm up against a strong opponent in this election. This idiom is also put as up against it, which means “in serious difficulty, especially in desperate financial straits.” For example, When the collection agency called again, we knew we were up against it. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

up against

Keely Hodgkinson will seek to prove she is still number one after a "tricky" outdoor season when she comes up against world-class rivals in pursuit of a third consecutive European 800m title in Birmingham.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

As someone who sees a lot of marketing writing on LinkedIn, I have to ask: How do CMOs stack up against other corporate leaders when it comes to AI posting?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

The feeling of responsibility is probably rubbing up against your financial and personal boundaries.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

"They thought they already knew what they were going to find here, and they have come up against reality," he told AFP, saying some migrants told him they were returning "because they had no food".

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Fig rubbed up against my leg, his white-tipped tail waving in a satisfied “Hip Hop Hooray” motion.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• anti
• antithetical
• averse
• disputed
• hostile
• inimical
• opposing