Meanings
- UKinformalsubjected to (figurative) pressure; under the gun
Scotland were leading 1-0 but they were under the cosh against the 83rd best team in the world. They were hanging on; vulnerable, error-ridden.
2026 June 14, Tom English, “Why Haiti v Scotland was antidote to the ills of world football”, in BBC Sport1 more example
Having been under the cosh Swansea were enjoying a promising spell and Begovic had to deny Graham having a free header before Swansea's record signing secured victory with five minutes remaining.
2011 October 2, Aled Williams, “Swansea 2 - 0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport Wales
Synonyms & antonyms
Cite this entry
under the cosh. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20the%20cosh
“under the cosh.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20the%20cosh. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “under the cosh,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/under%20the%20cosh.
Source: under the cosh on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.