Meaning of on the back foot | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Having the weight on the back foot in order to play a defensive stroke
2. in a defensive posture; on the defensive; off balance; at a disadvantage.
   Commonwealth, idiomatic

Equivalents

Examples

“Lawson wasn't going to be put on the back foot by Brian Duff. "I don't know what you're on about. But I've kept my nose clean for over twenty years.”

“Now I was the one on the back foot. He liked me. "Really?" "I'd like to take you out when we're back in LA"”

“She was on the back foot now. I had taken the initiative good and proper.”

“Thitinan said Yingluck's decision to skip the verdict hearing will have "emboldened" the military government. "They would not have wanted to put her in jail, in this scenario, (but her not showing up today) puts her on the back foot and gives them an edge."”

“HS2 Ltd is presumably on the back foot in its relations with Government, because of its cost increases.”

CEFR level