背水一战 (bèi shuǐ yī zhàn) — to fight with one's back against the wall; a desperate struggle; do-or-die effort

Definition

A chengyu meaning a desperate, do-or-die fight with no retreat. From the historical story of a general who positioned his troops with their backs to a river, so defeat meant death.

idiom
to fight with one's back against the walla desperate struggledo-or-die effort

Examples

  • 背水一战
    Wǒ men yǐ jīng méi yǒu tuì lù le, zhǐ néng bèi shuǐ yī zhàn.
    We have no way back; we can only fight with our backs against the wall.
  • 背水一战
    Zhè chǎng bǐ sài duì qiú duì lái shuō shì bèi shuǐ yī zhàn, shū le jiù táo tài.
    This match is a do-or-die situation for the team — lose and you're out.
  • 背水一战
    Gōng sī miàn lín pò chǎn, tā jué dìng bèi shuǐ yī zhàn, tóu rù quán bù zī jīn.
    The company was facing bankruptcy, so he decided to make a desperate move and invest all his capital.

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