paint oneself into a corner
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Get oneself into a difficulty from which one can't extricate oneself. For example, By volunteering to do more work in the office and then taking a freelance job, George has painted himself into a corner. This idiom uses the graphic image of painting all of the floor except for the corner one stands in, so that one cannot leave without stepping on wet paint.
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Words nearby paint oneself into a corner
painter, painterly, painter's colic, paint horse, painting, paint oneself into a corner, paint pot, paint roller, paint stripper, paint the town red, paintwork
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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