The term 'in a difficult position' can be expressed in four different ways using crossword solutions: treed (5 letters), cornered (8 letters), on the spot (9 letters), and up the creek (10 letters). Treed is a metaphor for being trapped, as if one were a wild animal caught in a tree. Cornered implies being in a tight spot with no way out. On the spot suggests being in an immediate predicament with no time to think or plan. Lastly, up the creek implies being in a hopeless situation with no help in sight.