preposition
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
against all odds (=despite something seeming very unlikely)
▪ Against all odds, he recovered from his illness.
against the wall
▪ Bob leaned against the wall.
against your better judgment (=even though you think your action might be wrong)
▪ I lent him the money, against my better judgment.
against/contrary to expectations (=very different to what someone expected)
▪ Contrary to our expectations, the share price actually increased.
an injection against sth
▪ You may need to be given an injection against tetanus.
appeal against conviction (=ask a court of law to change it)
▪ The men intend to appeal against their convictions.
battle/struggle against the odds (=work hard despite great difficulties)
▪ The Coastguard was battling against the odds to keep the oil spill from reaching the shore.
be against sb’s principles
▪ It’s against my principles to eat meat.
be against the rules (=not be allowed)
▪ It was against the rules to talk in class.
be dead (set) against sth (=completely disapprove of or disagree with something)
▪ I’d like to be an actress but Mum and Dad are dead set against it.
be seen against the background of
▪ The unemployment data must be seen against the background of world recession.
brace sth against sth
▪ Gina braced her back against the wall and pushed as hard as she could.
bring a case (against sb)
▪ There was not enough evidence to bring a case against him.
bring a complaint against sbformal (= complain in a formal, legal way)
▪ Higgins brought a complaint against his former manager.
bring a lawsuit against sb (=to take a lawsuit against someone to a court)
▪ A former employee brought a lawsuit against the company claiming unfair dismissal.
bring a prosecution against sb (=prosecute them)
▪ The police did not bring a prosecution against him.
bring an accusation against sb
▪ The accusations against him were brought by two 18-year-old women.
fell...against the yen (=decreased in value in relation to the yen)
▪ The dollar fell by 24 percent against the yen between 1970 and 1973.
file a complaint/lawsuit/petition etc (against sb)
▪ Mr Genoa filed a formal complaint against the department.
go against the grain (=are not what I would normally choose to do)
▪ I often have to make decisions that go against the grain.
have a grievance (against sb)
▪ I had no grievance against him.
have nothing against (=have no reason to dislike them)
▪ I have nothing against foreigners .
hoping against hope (=hoping for something that is very unlikely to happen or be true)
▪ I rang my parents, hoping against hope that they hadn’t left yet.
insure (sth/sb) against loss/damage/theft/sickness etc
▪ It is wise to insure your property against storm damage.
it went against the grain
▪ Mary is always honest and it went against the grain to tell lies.
level an accusation against/at sb (=bring an accusation against someone)
▪ As a result, some outrageous accusations were levelled at her.
pit your wits against sb (=compete against someone using your intelligence or knowledge)
▪ Pit your wits against family or friends!
prejudice against women/black people etc
▪ There is still a lot of prejudice against women in positions of authority.
protect sth against frost
▪ The plants need to be protected against frost.
race against time/the clock
▪ The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship.
risen against the dollar (=increased in value in relation to the dollar)
▪ The pound has risen against the dollar.
sth is against the law (=it is illegal)
▪ The children knew that shoplifting was against the law.
strike a blow at/against/to sth
▪ The scandal seemed to have struck a mortal blow to the government’s chances of re-election.
take/make/mount a stand (against sth)
▪ We have to take a stand against racism.
the fight/war against terrorism
▪ ideas on how the international community can further the war against terrorism
the odds are stacked against sb (=there are a lot of difficulties that may prevent someone’s success)
▪ They may be able to build a life for themselves, but the odds are stacked against them.
up against it
▪ Murphy will be really up against it when he faces the champion this afternoon.
works against (=harms or causes problems for)
▪ Sexism still works against women in many professions.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a black mark (against sb)
▪ It is almost impossible to borrow money if you have any black marks against you.
▪ A mini-breakdown was less of a black mark than a criminal record if he should ever choose to emigrate.
▪ Incidentally, Willoughby, you've earned yourself a black mark for that little trouble.
▪ Irina had put a black mark against him with Rakovsky.
▪ It would be a good mark, not a black mark.
▪ The exam league tables have also been given a black mark by teaching unions.
▪ The outcome will be recorded but the finding does not constitute a black mark on the record of the officer involved.
▪ Why is not immediately obvious but sufficiently worrying to put a black mark against the program.
▪ You get a black mark next to your name that may show up in your next evaluation.
against nature
against sb's wishes
▪ He became a dancer against the wishes of his family.
against the clock
▪ For a normally aspirated 2.5, the 325i's showing against the clock is complete and impressive.
▪ He was positive in all he did and this approach helped us to win many games against the clock or the weather.
▪ Needless to say, starting that particular sewer again is very time-consuming, and the whole thing's against the clock!
▪ Sullivan Sergeant Sullivan looked at the wristwatch his girlfriend had given him and checked it against the clock on the wall.
▪ The ride is against the clock and points are taken away for knocking down obstacles.
▪ Thorns Gill is too precious to suffer damage by boots racing against the clock.
against the grain
▪ For those raised in the prudery of puritanism or the celibacy-conscious preoccupations of Catholicism this ran against the grain.
▪ Granted, that goes against the grain.
▪ Greg Dively is one woodworker who really goes against the grain.
▪ However it goes against the grain to tell them anything.
▪ However, it goes against the grain to have to say this, as it is our land after all.
▪ It went against the grain to have to tell others how to behave.
▪ Once again, Silverton goes against the grain by making her meringue smooth and flat instead of fluffy and high.
▪ The Smiths run directly against the grain.
as against sth
▪ Profits this year are $2.5 million as against $4 million last year.
be (like) banging/bashing etc your head against a brick wall
be drawn against sb
▪ The curtains, so blue that they were almost black, were drawn against the view.
▪ Window shades were drawn against the afternoon sun and the light in the house had an amber cast.
be more sinned against than sinning
be proof against sth
▪ The varnish makes the wood proof against water.
▪ A marine regiment was equipped with plasma cannon, and the marine battle armour was proof against most weapons.
▪ Even my highly regrettable tendency to react positively whenever the fridge door is opened was proof against that.
▪ Roxburgh Castle was proof against all but prolonged siege and heavy artillery.
be/come up against a (brick) wall
▪ She swam in what she hoped was the direction of the stairs, only to come up against a wall.
bring charges/a lawsuit/a court case/a prosecution/a claim (against sb)
close your mind to/against sth
▪ Academic interpretations held off the shame for a while, but then he could no longer close his mind to it.
▪ Bambi's closed her mind to it.
▪ He could tell by her eyes that she had closed her mind to him.
▪ I closed my ears and tried to close my mind to what was happening.
▪ Memories of her grandmother's judgements obtruded themselves and she closed her mind against them.
▪ She had immediately closed her mind to all thought, not even realising how tightly she had been gripping fitzAlan's hand.
▪ She stretched out on the bed, closing her mind to the sounds and waited.
cover yourself (against sth)
▪ Dealers will no longer need to buy to cover themselves, removing one factor that has supported prices.
▪ He covered himself with a blanket that suddenly seemed to move on its own-an army of insects began crawling over his skin.
▪ He covers himself in rose-water all the time so that the place smells like a funeral parlour.
▪ He tumbled to the ground, writhed around on the dirt and covered himself with dust.
▪ I slid out of bed and covered myself with a huge paisley shawl.
▪ In a sense it was inevitable that Kelly should cover himself in glory.
▪ My landlady had stopped screaming by now because she'd managed to cover herself up.
▪ She told him that he would cover himself with ridicule by bringing the boy back.
crime against humanity
▪ All are defined as crimes against humanity and carry a penalty of life imprisonment.
▪ All four have been charged with crimes against humanity by the Hague International Tribunal.
▪ He is charged with 20 war crimes, including genocide and crimes against humanity.
▪ If the conference succeeds in labelling slave trafficking a crime against humanity, demands for compensation will surely follow.
▪ Shouldn't they at least be discussed within the same context of international law and crimes against humanity?
▪ That is a crime against humanity.
▪ These are crimes against humanity, as has been said.
▪ They also slavishly accepted the amnesty that Pinochet and his generals had granted themselves to avoid trial for their crimes against humanity.
flatten yourself against sth
▪ I flattened myself against the wall.
▪ As the train began slowing down for North Chittendon, I flattened myself against the window.
▪ Brennan and Douglas flattened themselves against the front of the trench as it went over.
▪ I flattened myself against the wall.
▪ Quickly they moved out of sight, flattening themselves against the corridor walls to either side of the short passage.
▪ She'd flattened herself against the outside wall like some one in a spy movie.
▪ She flattened herself against the end terrace wall and looked back.
go against the flow
have nothing against sb/sth
▪ I have nothing against Jack personally, I just don't like his line of work.
▪ Atari and Psion, like most companies, have nothing against enthusiasts making one or two copies for personal back-ups.
▪ I have nothing against Mr Jack Neighbours, who sadly, I understand, was killed in the war.
▪ I have nothing against the Arabs ... They are the same as us.
▪ I have nothing against the Arabs.
▪ I have nothing against these resorts, but my own shortlist of best resorts would not include any of them.
▪ I have nothing against thorns and prickles so long as you can admire them from a safe distance.
▪ Now I want this distinctly understood, that I have nothing against Cleveland.
have your back to/against the wall
have/make common cause (with/against sb)
hold your own (against sb)
▪ And he is bound to hold his own.
▪ Chaparral and forests resisted the invasion, and in some places they have held their own even against fire and development.
▪ He and his government colleagues were confident they could hold their own against the mujahedin.
▪ In many areas, Whigs clearly continued to hold their own amongst the squirearchy.
▪ Sharpe was holding his own sword low beside his stirrup, almost as if he could not be bothered to fight.
▪ Then, holding her own breath and moving stealthily on tiptoe, she began to ease her way towards the exit.
▪ Well and nobly did... his gallant troops hold their own....
▪ You hold your own life together.
hurl yourself at/against etc sb/sth
▪ And yet people still hurl themselves at this fence.
▪ For an instant, Jimmy wondered whether he should hurl himself at the plate-glass windows.
▪ I hurl myself at the soldier.
▪ Shopkeeper Nasser Ali, 25, hurled himself at Conroy, who emptied his magazine of all six shots.
▪ The control room door slammed shut behind Atrimonides as he ran on to the gallery and hurled himself at Christine.
▪ The warriors hurled themselves at the heads or horns of their animals to make them lie down.
▪ The wind was gusting through the branches of the old oak tree outside and hurling itself against his window.
kick against the pricks
level criticism/charges/accusations etc at/against sb
▪ Even Mrs Thatcher levelled criticism at the lack of compartment privacy, but the policy against compartments was now firmly established.
make/find common cause (with/against sb)
not have a bad word to say about/against sb
over against sth
▪ The church is being forced to define itself over against non-religious culture.
pit your wits against sb
▪ Jill and Oz will pit their wits against each other, as they try to identify mystery wines.
race/work/battle against time
▪ But his parents are faced with a desperate race against time to raise the money necessary for his treatment.
▪ For the cartoonists, it's a daily battle against time, to create work that captures the imagination.
▪ However, with the contract negotiations starting, Lipton and others know that they are fighting a battle against time.
▪ It is a race against time.
▪ It looks as if my whole life is a race against time.
▪ Now it is a race against time to rebuild it before high spring ties later this month.
▪ The picture which became the cover shot, of the Rollright Stones, was a particular race against time.
▪ They face a race against time as fears grow over the health of the whales and the possibility of their becoming beached.
range yourself with/against sb/sth
set on/upon/against (doing) sth
▪ A pail of cold water for washing was set on the floor so that performers had to bend over to use it.
▪ Lance Rees was set on as he passed the sorting office in Withernsea, Humberside, on his way to school.
▪ Manuel Perez's brother left after his house was set on fire.
▪ Margarett set upon the package, tearing at its wrappings, only to find beneath it another carton, then still another.
▪ Once again I detect a false opposition: an idealised reality set against the alien forces of darkness.
▪ They were hacked to death and their bodies set on fire.
▪ Time limits may be set on how long employees can leave their goods in storage and receive reimbursement from their employers.
▪ Were the limits set on their radiation exposure acceptable?
set sth against tax
▪ Parents can also set costs against tax.
set sth off against tax
set your face against sth
▪ Alternatively, the rule-makers can set their faces against the pressures for change.
▪ Does the hon. Gentleman really want to set his face against the improvements that trust status could deliver?
▪ I would set my face against the casualisation of the Corporation.
▪ It has set its face against cutting prices.
▪ The Lord Chancellor set his face against growing criticism over his behaviour.
set yourself against (doing) sth
▪ But pop sets itself against nature and abandons wisdom for folly, moments of dissipation.
▪ She leaned into him, set herself against him.
▪ The three Established Church representatives set themselves against; the other four who were Free Churchmen were for it.
▪ Why has the Supreme Court set itself against the will of the majority on such an unprecedented scale?
sth is loaded against sb/sth
swim against the tide/current etc
▪ Light given out by distant galaxies has to swim against the tide of expansion to get to us.
▪ There s no point in you tryin to swim against the tide now, is there?
the dice/odds are loaded against sb/sth
the odds/cards are stacked against sb
▪ Although confident, we know the odds are stacked against the climbers.
there ought to be a law against sth
there's no law against sth
two/three strikes against sb/sth
▪ For the younger pilots, I had two strikes against me before I even began that were impossible to overcome.
▪ Generally, unless batters have two strikes against them, Bosley doesn't want them to swing at high strikes.
up against sth/sb
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ Eating good food is good insurance against sickness.
▪ Everyone was against closing the factory.
▪ He was injured in the game against the Cowboys.
▪ I'm against all forms of hunting.
▪ I hate it when the cat rubs its head against my legs.
▪ I have trouble knowing what colors look good against each other.
▪ It's against my principles to borrow money.
▪ It's so difficult swimming against the current.
▪ Only 3% of blacks were registered voters against 97% of the white residents.
▪ The planning regulations tend to work against smaller companies.
▪ The rain drummed against the window.
▪ The younger policeman was leaning against the desk.
▪ There were 10 votes for and 15 against the motion.
▪ This spray can be used against weevil and other crop pests.
▪ We had to sail against the wind.