against
əˈɡenst
Put a hand on the wall and opposing, shielding and checking are one move
The picture A palm pressed to a wall and pushing. However hard you push, the wall pushes back. You can feel the two forces meeting in your fingertips. FOR stands on the same side and pushes with you; AGAINST stands face to face and pushes back.
Where the picture shows up in against
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leaning your weight on it
He leaned against the wall to rest.
hiː liːnd əˈɡenst ðə wɔːl tuː rest
He rested for a moment propped on the wall.
A back flat to the wall, the body handing its weight over to it.
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striking it head on
The rain beat against the office window.
ðə reɪn biːt əˈɡenst ði ˈɔːfɪs ˈwɪndoʊ
The rain was hitting the office window.
Rain flying straight into the glass and bursting off it.
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standing opposed
Three members voted against the plan.
θriː ˈmembərz ˈvoʊtɪd əˈɡenst ðə plæn
Three members voted no to the plan.
A hand shoving one way, met head on by another hand shoving back.
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blocking to protect
This shot protects against the flu.
ðɪs ʃɑːt prəˈtekts əˈɡenst ðə fluː
This injection keeps the flu off you.
A shield planted in front of something flying in.
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checked one by the other
Please check the numbers against last year's.
pliːz tʃek ðə ˈnʌmbərz əˈɡenst læst jɪrz
Check the figures side by side with last year's.
Two sheets held together up to the light, one read through the other.
All of it in one picture
AGAINST is force meeting force face to face. Hand over your weight to it and you are leaning; hit it hard and you are beating on it; set your will opposite someone else's and you are opposing; stand in front of a danger and you are protecting; hold two sheets face to face and you are checking one by the other. Every time, something is pressed up against something else.