idiom (phrase) · informal

be up against it

/bi ʌp əˈɡenst ɪt/be UP a·GAINST it

speakingtask2

To face serious difficulties or obstacles; to be in a difficult situation with little chance to succeed.

Examples

“With the deadline tomorrow and no data, the team was really up against it.”

“Small businesses are up against it when large chains offer huge discounts.”

“He knew he was up against it trying to finish the project alone.”

Band 8 sentence

“Local shops are really up against it after the new supermarket opened; footfall has fallen sharply and profits have dwindled.”

Collocations

  • be up against a challenge
  • be up against stiff competition

Word family

be up against phrasal verb/idiom

Common mistakes

be up to it→be up against it

up against him→up against it

Say it for a higher band

5face difficulties→6have a hard time→7+be up against it

Synonyms

face difficulties

be hard-pressed

Easily confused

be hard-pressed

“Many charities are hard-pressed to continue services after funding cuts.”

Related words

between a rock and a hard placescrape bymake ends meetstrapped for cashat one's wit's endweather the stormhit a snagbe up to one's neck (in something)

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In Hardship

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