in a bind

Idioms and Phrases

Also, in a box or hole or jam or tight corner or tight spot . In a difficult, threatening, or embarrassing position; also, unable to solve a dilemma. For example, He's put us in a bind: we can't refuse, but at the same time we can't fill the order , or Jim's in a box; he can't afford to pay what he owes us , or He quit without giving notice and now we're really in a hole , or We always end up in a jam during the holiday season , or He's in a tight corner with those new customers , or We'll be in a tight spot unless we can find another thousand dollars . All these colloquial terms allude to places from which one can't easily extricate oneself. The phrase using bind was first recorded in 1851; box , 1865; jam , 1914; tight spot , 1852. Also see in a fix .

Example Sentences

For Mark Bauerlein, retired from Emory University, academics are caught in a bind that only Trump can break: “bow down to diversity or risk your academic career.”

From Salon

By that time, the agency said consumers were in a bind because they had already paid a nonrefundable application fee of up to $55.

From Los Angeles Times

Melnick said the injunctions leave schools and campuses in a bind.

From Salon

“It puts career diplomats in a bind to be asked to go on the record commenting on how they would support policies that are favored by the current administration but may not be by the next,” Barbara Stephenson, a former Panama ambassador, told the Washington Post.

From Salon

Home insurance companies have put Californians in a bind by refusing to sell new policies or renew many customers, leaving them with few coverage options.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• belated
• delayed
• delinquent
• overdue
• sluggish