back into a corner

1. To force or be forced into a difficult or unpleasant situation that one cannot easily resolve or escape. A noun can be used between "back" and "into." My boss really backed me into a corner when he asked me to fire the CEO's daughter. Scott has been backed into a corner with this mortgage payment that he cannot afford.

2. To put oneself into a difficult or unpleasant situation that one cannot easily resolve or escape. In this usage, a reflexive pronoun is used between "back" and "into." I really backed myself into a corner when I agreed to go to two events on the same night.

back somebody into a corner

to force someone into a bad situation The company backed its workers into a corner by hiring replacements during the strike.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the form get backed into a corner: When that team gets backed into a corner, they aren't afraid to fight their way out.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Nebo	-	Biblical
Kolya	-	Russian
Anne (1)	AHN (French), AN (English), AN-ne (Danish), AHN-ne (Finnish), AH-nə (German), AHN-nə (Dutch)	French, English, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Basque
Novak	-	Serbian
Almeric	[æl'merik]
Laurentina	-	Ancient Roman