Select the most appropriate idiom that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
Unless sales improve next month, the company will be in a critical position in which failure seems imminent.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The most appropriate idiom is 4. up against the wall.
- The phrase “up against the wall” means being in a crucial or critical position where failure seems imminent.
- In the given sentence—“Unless sales improve next month, the company will be in a critical position in which failure seems imminent”—this idiom fits perfectly.
The other options don’t match the meaning:
“a damp squib” means something disappointing or anticlimactic.
“a mare’s nest” refers to a false discovery.
“hitting the sack” means going to bed.
Unless sales improve next month, the company will be up against the wall.