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The Britannica Dictionary wall 20 ENTRIES FOUND:

• wall (noun)
• wall (verb)
• walled (adjective)
• wall–mounted (adjective)
• wall–to–wall (adjective)
• wall painting (noun)
• Wall Street (noun)
• climbing wall (noun)
• drystone wall (noun)
• fire wall (noun)
• hole–in–the–wall (noun)
• off–the–wall (adjective)
• retaining wall (noun)
• back (noun)
• climb (verb)
• drive (verb)
• fly (noun)
• handwriting (noun)
• hit (verb)
• writing (noun)

1 wall /ˈwɑːl/ noun plural walls 1 wall /ˈwɑːl/ noun plural walls Britannica Dictionary definition of WALL [count] 1 : a structure of brick, stone, etc., that surrounds an area or separates one area from another

• A stone wall marks off their property.
• the Great Wall of China
• the walls of the ancient city

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — often used figuratively

• The wave was like a wall of water.
• The police formed a human wall around him.
• His suggestion was met with a wall of silence. [=was met with complete silence]
• a wall of sound
• He built an emotional wall [=barrier] around himself.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples — see also climbing wall, fire wall, retaining wall, seawall 2 : the structure that forms the side of a room or building

• She hung posters on the walls of her room.
• This apartment building has thin walls, and you can hear everything your neighbors say.
• A lot has happened inside these four walls. [=inside this room]
• Lower your voice and be careful what you say. The walls have ears. [=other people could be listening to what you say]

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 3 : the outer layer of something that is hollow (such as a part of the body or of a plant)

• plant cell walls
• Muscles in the abdominal wall help protect organs.

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back is to/against the wall

— see 1back

climbing the walls

— see 1climb

drive (someone) up a/the wall

informal : to make (someone) irritated, angry, or crazy

• Your constant tapping is driving me up the wall!
• Her voice drives me up a wall. [=her voice is very annoying to me]

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fly on the wall

— see 3fly

go to the wall

informal 1 US : to make every possible effort to achieve something, to win, etc.

• He's prepared to go to the wall to defend his beliefs.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 British : to fail because of a lack of money

• a company that has gone to the wall

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hit a/the wall

informal : to reach a point at which you find it very difficult or impossible to continue

• He worked late every day and took frequent business trips for several years before he finally hit the wall.
• They seem to have hit the wall in terms of new ideas.
• Her tennis career hit a wall after the injury.

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the writing/handwriting is on the wall

or see/read the writing/handwriting on the wall — used to say that it is clear that something bad will probably happen soon

• I haven't lost my job yet, but the writing is on the wall: my company just laid off 50 more people today.
• No one told him he was going to be fired, but he could see the writing on the wall.

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up against a/the wall

informal : in a very bad position or situation

• The team was up against a wall in the first half of the game.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 wall /ˈwɑːl/ verb walls; walled; walling 2 wall /ˈwɑːl/ verb walls; walled; walling Britannica Dictionary definition of WALL

wall in

[phrasal verb] wall (something) in or wall in (something) : to surround (something) with a wall or with something that is like a wall

• The school grounds are walled in.
• They walled the garden in with rows of thick shrubs.

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wall off

[phrasal verb] wall (something) off or wall off (something) : to separate (something) from the area around it with a wall

• The school walled off the playground from the parking lot.

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wall up

[phrasal verb] 1 wall (something) up or wall up (something) : to close off (an opening) by filling it with stone, brick, etc.

• They walled up the doorway of the abandoned house.

[+] more examples [-] hide examples [+] Example sentences [-] Hide examples 2 wall (someone) up or wall up (someone) : to keep (someone) as a prisoner in an enclosed space

• He was walled up in the tower. [=was locked inside the tower]

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