ställa mot väggen

Swedish

Etymology

ställa (“put, push”) +‎ mot (“against”) +‎ väggen (“the wall”), figuratively to put someone in a situation where they cannot back away or escape easily.

Verb

ställa mot väggen

1. (idiomatic) to confront someone, to demand answers or action
   • 2019, Arvid Jansson, Mitt i Söderort‎^[1], archived from the original on 21 November 2019:

     Farstabor ställer politiker mot väggen: ”Stäng inte parklekar”

     People of Farsta confront politicians: "Don't close the manned playgrounds"

   • 1965, Casimir Ehrnrooth, “Trogen tvenne tsarer och en furste Alexander”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

     De övriga ministrarna var nu ställda mot väggen och tvangs att utan undanflykter ta ställning till frågan.

     The other ministers were now backed up against the wall and were forced to take a stand on the question without prevarication.