what does it mean when someone's back is to the door?

Answer 1

Haven't heard that expression before. I have heard that someone has their back to the wall, which generally means they are in a tough spot and running out of options.

Answer 2

This question requires context to be correctly answered.

The original statement is "back to the wall." If your back is to the wall, it means the same thing as "backed into the corner" or "between a rock and a hard place." It means that you have few options.

Well, if your back is to the door, you have ONE option, which is to open the door and leave. If your speaker is in a romantic relationship, he's about to leave the relationship.

HOWEVER if your context has military experience...no one with combat experience puts their back to the door. They always watch who is coming in. In fact, they always "cover" their back...they're always situated so that no one can sneak up behind them. In terms of speaking a strategy, they could be watching someone else whose back is to the door, so that someone could slip in or out...
But...do you see how context is crucial to the statement? Because whoever is saying it, and when and where will determine what they mean by it.

Answer 3

Some people won't sit with their back to the door because they can't see who is coming through the door. My step Dad for one, says it's from his tour during the war in Vietnam. If they entered into a building you would have to have somebody watch the door in case of ambush. If you went to a restaurant in your off time you would still want to look out for what could enter, and also make sure you can always make it to the door if you had to leave quickly.

Answer 4

Old-time gunfighters never sat with their backs to the door in case the sheriff came in. In that sense, having your back to the door means being open for unpleasant (usually) surprises.