up against

Idioms  

1. Contending or confronted with, as in I'm up against a strong opponent in this election. This idiom is also put as up against it, which means “in serious difficulty, especially in desperate financial straits.” For example, When the collection agency called again, we knew we were up against it. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Or the debut campaign at Inter where, up against the pound-for-pound best defenders in the world, he toyed with Serie A markers and netted 34 goals in all competitions?

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

Pepsi CFO Steve Schmitt said that the company’s production and shipping network was holding up against that backdrop.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

"We had to be more adaptable to the different styles we come up against, and we needed more control in games through possession."

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Senate and will face a runoff with incumbent Sen. John Cornyn to see who will go up against Democratic State Rep. James Talarico in November.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Fig slogged into the room with a soft “mew” and then rubbed up against my leg.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• anti
• antithetical
• averse
• disputed
• hostile
• inimical
• opposing