1、At bay:(经常和keep或hold连用)使……不能接近。One of the gangsters kept the police at bay until the rest escaped。
2、At bottom:实际上。Judy said she was not jealous of her friends success, but at bottom, she was。
3、At close quarters:逼近地。he two rivals grappled at close quarters。
4、At cross purposes:互相误解。I think we are at cross purposes. When I said J.C., I meant Jason Chen, not John Chen。