drive someone to the wall

English

Verb

drive someone to the wall (third-person singular simple present drives someone to the wall, present participle driving someone to the wall, simple past drove someone to the wall, past participle driven someone to the wall)

  1. (dated) To push someone to extremities.
    • 1882, Henry H. Alexander, Edward Denison Easton, Report of the Proceedings in the Case of the United States Vs. Charles J. Guiteau, page 497:
      Then we had some further conversation and I drove him to the wall, as I always did in conversation; that is, I rather attacked him; I did attack him.
    • 1930, Hilda Orchardson Gray, The Life of Sir William Quiller Orchardson:
      The new pupil did not appreciate the rough handling, and, well, he did not exactly lose his temper, but at any rate he attacked suddenly and furiously, and so surprised his teacher that he drove him to the wall.

See also

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