up a tree

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up a tree

phrase

dated, idiomatic In or into a disadvantaged or difficult situation; at a loss; cornered. "I'm a bit up a tree, Miss," he said shuffling his feet on the oak floor. "I behaved a fool."
Similar: over a barrel, perplexed, stumped, up the creek

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MLA

"up a tree." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/up%20a%20tree. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

up a tree. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/up%20a%20tree

Chicago

"up a tree." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/up%20a%20tree.

BibTeX

@misc{up_a_tree_2026,
  title = {up a tree},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/up%20a%20tree},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}