behind the eight ball

1. A term, referring to the game of pool, meaning in an unfavorable or uncomfortable position: “After his unkind remarks were repeated to the boss, Gary really ended up behind the eight ball.”

Idioms and Phrases

In trouble or an awkward position, out of luck, as in His check bounced, leaving Jim behind the eight ball with his landlord . The term comes from pocket billiards or pool, where in certain games if the number eight ball is between the “cue ball” and “object ball” the player cannot make a straight shot. [ Colloquial ; c. 1920]

Example Sentences

County is “behind the eight ball on that.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Nobody wants to be behind the eight ball,” said Daisy Stall, head of entertainment finance at California Bank & Trust.

From Los Angeles Times

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said retaining an income tax with multiple rates would keep Kansas “behind the eight ball” economically.

From Seattle Times

“Brandon always gets off to a fast start and gets us behind the eight ball every game. I just thought offensively we didn’t get into a good rhythm. I thought we had a nasty flow all night,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.

From Washington Times

“I thought the crowd played a big role in getting us on our toes early. We could have scored a few more goals in the second period but we got a little bit behind the eight ball with penalties,” he said.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• necessitous
• poor