袋ふくろのネズミ

expression, noun

trapped with no way out; rat in a bag

Idiomatic expression describing a situation where someone is cornered or has no escape. The literal image is a rat trapped in a bag.

• 警けい察さつに囲かこまれて、犯はん人にんは袋ふくろのネズミだった。

  Surrounded by the police, the criminal was like a rat in a bag.

• 出で口ぐちをふさがれて、私わたしたちは袋ふくろのネズミ状じょう態たいだ。

  With the exit blocked, we're trapped like rats in a bag.