vor verschlossener Tür stehen
Translation
to stand before a locked door, to be locked out, to be denied access
Examples
Als ich ankam, stand ich vor verschlossener Tür.
When I arrived, I stood before a locked door.
Mit seiner Idee stand er bei den Investoren vor verschlossener Tür.
With his idea, he was denied access by the investors.
Grammar Patterns
vor verschlossener Tür stehen to be faced with a locked door / to be denied access Wir standen vor verschlossener Tür.
Similar Words
Synonyms: keinen Zutritt haben (to have no access), abgewiesen werden (to be rejected)
Etymology
A literal combination of 'vor verschlossener Tür' (in front of a locked door) and 'stehen' (to stand).
Memory Tips
This is more literal than the previous phrase. Imagine arriving somewhere and the door is locked. This can be used literally or figuratively for being denied something.