at bay

Idioms and Phrases

Cornered, in distress, as in Angry bystanders chased the thief into an alley and held him at bay until the police arrived . This idiom originally came from hunting, where it describes an animal that has been driven back and now faces pursuing hounds. Its use for other situations dates from the late 1500s.

Example Sentences

The population, then at around 211 million, continued to expand, and many who at first worried for the carrying capacity of the planet became preoccupied with walling off the country and keeping the global population at bay.

From Salon

Across Manchester, rivals City have struggled to keep their opponents at bay.

From BBC

“A lot of our clients are afraid of walking down the street and breaking a hip. The methodology of what we do, we keep bone loss at bay. We give them the strength to be more active and independent.”

From Los Angeles Times

The offense gives the Chargers an early lead over the Browns on the road, and the defense keeps Cleveland at bay with three interceptions in a 27-10 victory.

From Los Angeles Times

The offense gives the Chargers an early lead over the Browns on the road, and the defense keeps Cleveland at bay with three interceptions in a 27-10 victory.

From Los Angeles Times