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]

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

up against

Swift has attended other games in the past, including a game between the Chicago Bulls and the Knicks in October 2014 and a match up against Orlando Magic in November 2014.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

In addition, he noted that by taking a big swing at prediction markets, DraftKings would be going up against the likes of Polymarket and Kalshi.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 6, 2026

“People whose property is being stolen from them, if they can’t afford an attorney, that’s too bad. They’re up against these major companies.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026

In his refrigerated warehouses, located right up against the border wall -- in an area through which dozens of trucks pass -- Mario Jauregui is fed up with "always playing the guessing game."

From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026

Frank and Joe had already run up against him once on a case, when they were trying to find the missing money from a video-game competition.

From "Hopping Mad (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #4)" by Franklin W. Dixon

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

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

---