at bay

1. 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 operation led to an hours-long standoff between demonstrators and federal agents, who used less lethal ammunition to keep the crowd at bay.

From Los Angeles Times

Number eight Liana Mikaele-Tu'u, who was also outstanding, powered over to bring up the champions' third try but they then needed to defend well to keep the Spanish side at bay.

From BBC

The system’s length and strength will be compounded by some offshore winds, which will help keep any marine influence at bay and keep temperatures high, even overnight.

From Los Angeles Times

The Black Sea is another area where Western security guarantees could help keep Russia's fleet at bay and ensure the free flow of commercial vessels out of ports such as Odesa.

From BBC

And that led to performances where Arsenal were kept at bay by sides who defended deep.

From BBC

Related Words

• captured www.thesaurus.com
• cornered