ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tied in knots

idiom
Meaning

In a state of confusion; in a difficult situation, in a bind.

Examples
SIMPLE

My stomach is tied in knots before the big exam.

CONTEXTUAL

The complicated legal contract left the small business owner feeling completely tied in knots.

COMPLEX

Caught between conflicting loyalties and impossible demands, he found his thoughts tied in knots as he struggled to reach a final decision.

Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    fit to be tied

    Very agitated or distressed; also, very angry; enraged, furious.

  2. 02

    have one's hands tied

    To be powerless to act, to be thwarted.

  3. 03

    tie in knots

    To put (someone) in a difficult situation.

  4. 04

    tie oneself in knots

    To put oneself in a difficult situation.

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