bind

A no-win situation. When both of Sally's jobs scheduled her to work on the same day, she was put in a double bind. She needed both incomes and could not afford to lose either position.

to tie or secure someone or something to something. Bind the tarpaulin so it won't get away. We will bind down the patient tightly. They bound the hatch down so it could not be opened.

to tie the parts of something together; to tie a number of things or people together. Can you bind together all three parts? Bind these two bandits together and lead them to jail.

to tie someone or something up in something. They bound the books up in leather straps. I will bind up the larger sticks in strong cord.

to deliver someone to some legal authority; to deliver someone to some legal authority. (A legal usage.) They bound the suspect over to the sheriff. The sheriff will bind over the suspect to the county jail.

with hands and feet tied up. The robbers left us bound hand and foot. We remained bound hand and foot until the police found us and untied us.

Fig. in a tight or difficult situation; stuck on a problem. (*Typically: be ~; get [into] ~; find oneself ~.) I'm in a bind. I owe a lot of money. Whenever I get into a jam, I ask my supervisor for help. When things get busy around here, we get in a bind. We could use another helper.

forced to deal with a difficult situation Ashworth felt he was in a bind, with two completely different sets of directions he was supposed to follow.

a situation in which you cannot succeed because whatever you decide to do, there will be bad results Women find themselves in a double bind. If they stay at home with their kids they're regarded as non-achievers and if they go out to work, people say they're neglecting their family.

Oblige someone to do or not do something; hold on bail or keep under bond. For example, The sheriff will bind over the murder suspect to the homicide division. This phrase is nearly always used in a legal context. [Late 1500s]

Wholly obligated, unable to free oneself. For example, These rules have us bound hand and foot; we can't even discuss the matter. This term transfers the literal meaning, having one's hands and feet tied and therefore unable to move, to legal, moral, or social obligations. The expression dates from the 10th century a.d.

Also, in a box or hole or jam or tight corner or tight spot . In a difficult, threatening, or embarrassing position; also, unable to solve a dilemma. For example, He's put us in a bind: we can't refuse, but at the same time we can't fill the order, or Jim's in a box; he can't afford to pay what he owes us, or He quit without giving notice and now we're really in a hole, or We always end up in a jam during the holiday season, or He's in a tight corner with those new customers, or We'll be in a tight spot unless we can find another thousand dollars. All these colloquial terms allude to places from which one can't easily extricate oneself. The phrase using bind was first recorded in 1851; box, 1865; jam, 1914; tight spot, 1852. Also see in a fix.