“进退维谷”常见的英文表达是 “be in a dilemma” 或 “be caught in a difficult situation” ，也可说 “be at a loss as to which way to turn” 。
“be in a dilemma”：强调处于两难的境地，难以做出抉择，与“进退维谷”所表达的面临两难选择、不知如何是好的意思非常契合。例如：He was in a dilemma about whether to accept the job offer or not.（他对于是否接受这份工作邀请陷入了进退维谷的境地。）
“be caught in a difficult situation”：侧重于描述陷入了一种困难的、棘手的局面，而这种局面让人感觉前进或后退都很艰难，符合“进退维谷”所传达的在困境中难以抉择的语义。比如：The company was caught in a difficult situation due to the sudden change in market demand.（由于市场需求的突然变化，公司陷入了进退维谷的境地。）
“be at a loss as to which way to turn”：形象地表达出一个人在面对某种情况时，完全不知道该往哪个方向走，即处于一种迷茫、不知所措且难以抉择的状态，和“进退维谷”的含义相近。例如：When the project faced unexpected problems, the team was at a loss as to which way to turn.（当项目遇到意外问题时，团队陷入了进退维谷的境地。）