to try very hard to prevent something from happening when it is probably too late to prevent it.
The unions were fighting a rearguard action against the government's attempt to strip them of their powers. (often + against)
英语词组固定搭配大全包含18674条英汉双解词组，基本涵盖了全部常用英文词组、短语的翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。