Idioms Exercises: Idioms about Adversity, Challenges, and Failure

Fill in the blanks to form an idiom about adversity, challenges, and failure. The idioms used in this exercise are listed after the practice activity. It may be a good idea to study the list of idioms before trying the exercise.

Also see the Idioms Builder for practice with hundreds of idioms (including the idioms in this exercise).

Idioms about Adversity, Challenges, and Failure

back against the wall
Someone with their back against the wall is in a problematic situation with few ways to react.
back to the drawing board
To go back to the drawing board means to start over and go back to the planning stage.
bite the bullet
To bite the bullet means to do something unpleasant that needs to be done.
bitter pill to swallow
A bitter pill to swallow means something unpleasant that needs to be accepted.
blow up in one’s face
If something blows up in someone’s face, it means that something failed when success was expected.
come hell or high water
Come hell or high water means no matter what.
come up short
To come up short means to fail to achieve a goal.
cut one’s losses
To cut one’s losses means to stop a course of action that is not working.
dead in the water
Someone dead in the water is not able to function or operate.
do or die
A do-or-die situation requires a great effort to avoid the negative consequences of failure.
dog eat dog
Something dog eat dog is ultra competitive and ruthless.
fall flat
To fall flat means to fail.
fight a losing battle
To fight a losing battle means to fight an unwinnable fight.
have disaster written all over it
If something has disaster written all over it, it is obviously headed for complete failure.
have one’s work cut out
Someone who has their work cut out for them has a lot of work to do.
in a tight spot  (also, in a bind, in a fix, in a jam)
Someone in a tight spot is in a difficult situation.
in over one’s head
Someone in over their head is in a difficult situation that they are incapable of handling.
let something slip through one’s fingers
To let something slip through one’s fingers means to fail to take advantage of an opportunity.
nip something in the bud
To nip something in the bud means to stop something at the onset before it develops and becomes a bigger problem.
open a can of worms
To open a can of worms means to create a situation that causes trouble.
out of the woods
Out of the woods means no longer in trouble.
play with fire
To play with fire means to do something risky or dangerous.
roll with the punches
To roll with the punches means to handle setbacks, unexpected situations, and adversity without getting frustrated.
see the light at the end of the tunnel
If someone can see the light at the end of the tunnel, they can see signs of a successful conclusion to a difficult situation.
sink or swim
Sink or swim refers to a situation in which someone will either fail or succeed without anyone else’s help.
spread oneself too thin
To spread oneself too thin means to take on so many responsibilities that they can’t be done properly.
stick one’s neck out
To stick one’s neck out means to put oneself at risk.
stuck between a rock and a hard place
Someone stuck between a rock and a hard place is facing a difficult decision in which neither choice is desirable.
take (something) in stride
Someone who takes something in stride deals with a setback, criticism, or negative situation without letting it affect or influence them.
take the bull by the horns
To take the bull by the horns means to directly confront a difficult situation and take action.
take/knock the wind out of one’s sails
To take/knock the wind out of one’s sails means to make someone lose optimism or confidence.
through thick and thin
Through thick and thin means in all circumstances, both good and bad.
throw in the towel
To throw in the towel means to quit.
weather the storm
To weather the storm means to successfully handle difficulties.
when the chips are down
When the chips are down refers to times when difficulty arises.

Also see the Idioms Builder for practice with hundreds of idioms (including the idioms in this exercise).