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Showing results for between a rock and a hard place. Search instead for between a rock a hard place.
Definitions

between a rock and a hard place

ADJECTIVE
between the devil and the deep blue sea
Synonyms
WEAK
Catch-22 Hobson's choice between Scylla and Charybdis between the hammer and the anvil between two fires cornered in a dilemma in a pickle in a predicament in the middle no choice sitting on a powder keg
NOUN
bind
Synonyms
STRONGEST
crunch dilemma pickle predicament quandary
STRONG
difficulty nuisance
WEAK
hot water no-win situation sticky situation tight situation tight spot
Antonyms
STRONGEST
solution

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Still, farmers are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

From Salon • May 15, 2026

NHS managers said they were between a "rock and a hard place" trying to juggle balancing the books with tackling the hospital backlog, which currently stands at 7.4 million.

From BBC • Dec. 11, 2025

“She’s between a rock and a hard place on fiscal,” he notes.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

The Palm Springs Art Museum has apparently wedged itself firmly between a rock and a hard place.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 18, 2025

Catiline, in other words, is wedged firmly between a rock and a hard place.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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