back foot

noun

1. on the back foot
   at a disadvantage; outmanoeuvred or outclassed by an opponent

Example Sentences

Government forces, he says, are constantly on the back foot, rarely launching offensives to regain territory.

From The Daily Beast

ISIS was still on the back-foot in Jarabulus, near the Turkish border, where fierce fighting was reported yesterday.

From The Daily Beast

A man never ascends or descends, nor walks at all in any direction, without raising the heel of the back foot.

From Project Gutenberg

They'll cheer a losing team, a team that is being driven back foot by foot.

From Project Gutenberg

The great thing at first is to prevent the weight getting back on the back foot.

From Project Gutenberg

He pulled at his back foot like a man striving to loose himself from thick mud.

From Project Gutenberg