1 to trap

2 to surround

3 hard-pressed

4 stranded

5 destitute

1 difficult

2 challenging

3 straitened circumstances

4 difficult situation

1 distressed

1 predicament

2 plight

1 bewildered

2 perplexed

3 confused

4 difficult problem

5 perplexity

1 riders tired and horses weary (idiom)

2 worn out

3 exhausted

4 spent

5 fatigued

1 internal trouble and outside aggression (idiom); in a mess both domestically and abroad

1 a cornered beast will still fight (idiom)

2 to fight like an animal at bay

1 to help those in distress (idiom)

1 to help people in difficulty and bring relief to the needy (idiom)