come/crawl out of the woodwork
phrase
disapproving
: to appear suddenly usually because one sees an opportunity to get something for oneself
As soon as she won the lottery, people started coming out of the woodwork, asking for money.
Cite this Entry
“Come/crawl out of the woodwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%2Fcrawl%20out%20of%20the%20woodwork. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
