come home to roost
idiom
1
—used of person's past actions that are causing him or her to experience problems in the present
Her bad decisions are coming home to roost.
2
—used of a person's past actions that caused problems for others in the past that are like the problems that person is experiencing in the present
He's been cheating people for years but now the/his chickens are (finally) coming home to roost.
Cite this Entry
“Come home to roost.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%20home%20to%20roost. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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