on its knees

Japan was not at the heart of last autumn's financial storm, and its banking system is not yet on its knees.

When the graduates of the school heard that it was on its knees, they gave money generously so that it would not close.

Now, for the moment, the IMF has cut Argentina off. This latest blow comes when the economy is already on its knees.

Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the attitude of the body may be, the soul is on its knees.

In this case, gridlock means dramatic action: a swingeing tax increase with the economy still on its knees.

Now foreign manufacturers are sitting pretty while the American auto industry is on its knees, begging for a bailout.

The manufacturing surge is tailing away, and the property market still on its knees is dragging down growth.

The Huajian Group, a Sino-Taiwan shoe maker, is precisely the type of Chinese exporter that should be on its knees.

That left the banks crippled and the economy on its knees.

He says, on the one side, Pyongyang calls for talks; but, on the other side, it will not come to those talks on its knees.

In any case, it is banks' reluctance to lend, not a buyers' strike, that has the housing market on its knees.

In the mid-1990s, Russia was on its knees, begging the West for aid.

America is on its knees.

July 10, 2005 -- Ten years ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a small mountainous country in South East Europe, was on its knees.

In November the Hong Kong-listed company was on its knees.