knock\ back\ on\ one's\ heels

knock\ back\ on\ one's\ heels
• set back on one's heels
• knock back on one's heels
v. phr. informal
To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone's) progress.

Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn't as good a player as he thought he was.

Jean was doing very well in school until sickness knocked her back on her heels.

Compare: knock for a loop, throw for a loss

Словарь американских идиом. — СПб., Изд-во "Лань". . 1997.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • knock back on one's heels — See: SET BACK ON ONE S HEELS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • knock back on one's heels — See: SET BACK ON ONE S HEELS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • set\ back\ on\ one's\ heels — • set back on one s heels • knock back on one s heels v. phr. informal To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone s) progress. Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn t… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • set back on one's heels — or[knock back on one s heels] {v. phr.}, {informal} To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone s) progress. * /Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn t as good a player …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • set back on one's heels — or[knock back on one s heels] {v. phr.}, {informal} To give an unpleasant surprise; upset suddenly; stop or turn back (someone s) progress. * /Jack brags too much and it set him back on his heels when the coach told him he wasn t as good a player …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • heel — See: AT ONE S HEELS, COOL ONE S HEELS, DOWN AT THE HEEL or DOWN AT HEEL, DRAG ONE S FEET or DRAG ONE S HEELS, HEAD OVER HEELS, KICK UP ONE S HEELS, ON ONE S HEELS or ON THE HEELS OF, SET BACK ON ONE S HEELS or KNOCK BACK ON ONE S HEELS, TAKE TO… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • heel — See: AT ONE S HEELS, COOL ONE S HEELS, DOWN AT THE HEEL or DOWN AT HEEL, DRAG ONE S FEET or DRAG ONE S HEELS, HEAD OVER HEELS, KICK UP ONE S HEELS, ON ONE S HEELS or ON THE HEELS OF, SET BACK ON ONE S HEELS or KNOCK BACK ON ONE S HEELS, TAKE TO… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • heel — See: at one s heels, cool one s heels, down at the heel or down at heel, drag one s feet or drag one s heels, head over heels, kick up one s heels, on one s heels or on the heels of, set back on one s heels or knock back on one s heels, take to… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • shake — v 1. vibrate, rattle, chatter; convulse, corn move, twitch, vellicate, toss and turn; shimmy, wiggle, rock, bounce, bob, dance, (both of dice) roll, toss; swing, sway, oscillate, wave, roll. 2. tremble, quiver, twitter, trill; pulsate, pulse,… …   A Note on the Style of the synonym finder

  • surprise — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) Unexpectedness Nouns surprise, nonexpectation, unexpectedness, the unforeseen, unforeseen contingency or circumstances, miscalculation, astonishment, wonder, thunderclap, turn, blow, shock, bolt from the …   English dictionary for students

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