be cornered
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- 1 be cornered、be at bay、run out of options
Describes being cornered so completely that there is no remaining way to escape, resist, or talk one’s way out of the situation.
be cornered、be at bay、run out of options
To be cornered with no viable way left to escape, fight back, or avoid the consequences.
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ตำรวจไล่ต้อนคนร้ายจนมุม tamrùat lây tɔ̂ɔn khon ráay con mum The police cornered the criminal. ตำรวจไล่ต้อนคนร้ายจนมุม details
Learning notes
Explanation
จนมุม is an idiomatic verb describing a person who has been completely cornered by an opponent or by circumstances. The expression combines จน, here conveying reaching a state or endpoint, with มุม, “corner.” Its image is therefore similar to being driven into a corner. It applies both to literal pursuits and to figurative situations, such as being confronted with evidence and having no excuse left. A person can be the subject, as in คนร้ายจนมุม, “the criminal is cornered.” To express actively cornering someone, it commonly appears with verbs such as ไล่ต้อน or ต้อน.
Usage
It is commonly used when police corner a suspect, when an opponent is left with no move, or when questioning or evidence leaves someone unable to deny the truth. It occurs in everyday speech as well as news reports and narratives.
Caution
This does not merely mean “to have difficulty.” It is stronger than ลำบาก or มีปัญหา and implies that virtually no escape or workable option remains. On its own, จนมุม normally describes the person being cornered; use constructions such as ต้อนจนมุม, ไล่ต้อนจนมุม, or ทำให้จนมุม to describe cornering someone else.