We were up against a tight deadline.

Meaning

We had very little time to complete the task.

Examples

• John: How did you manage to finish the report so quickly?
• Alice: We were <b>up against a tight deadline</b>, so we had to work long hours.
• John: I can imagine. I've been there! Working under pressure is stressful. We were also <b>up against a tight deadline</b> on that last project.
• Alice: Teamwork makes the dream work, especially when time is short.