“Be on the back foot”
WorkDefinition
Im Nachteil zu sein und gezwungen zu sein, zu reagieren, anstatt die Initiative zu ergreifen.
English: To be at a disadvantage and forced to react rather than take the initiative.
Beispiele
Beispiele
1 / 2“The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot.”
Die unerwartete Frage brachte den Sprecher in eine ungünstige Lage und zwang ihn zu einer Reaktion.
Use this idiom in context
Rewrite this example in plain English without the idiom. Preserve who is speaking, the time and the meaning.
The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot.Compare with the original example
The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot.
Die unerwartete Frage brachte den Sprecher in eine ungünstige Lage und zwang ihn zu einer Reaktion.
Write a two-line conversation using “Be on the back foot”. Make the situation clear enough that a reader can infer the meaning. Then replace the idiom with a plain-English explanation: does your conversation still mean the same thing?
Check the expression in a dictionaryHäufig gestellte Fragen
- What does "Be on the back foot" mean?
- "Be on the back foot" means im nachteil zu sein und gezwungen zu sein, zu reagieren, anstatt die initiative zu ergreifen.
- How do you use "Be on the back foot" in a sentence?
- Example: "The unexpected question put the speaker on the back foot."
- Should I interpret "Be on the back foot" word for word?
- Understand the expression as a whole. Use the definition and example to learn its meaning rather than translating each word separately.