one of those things

noun phrase

informal
used to refer to a bad or unfortunate experience that happened and to say that such experiences can happen to anyone
I missed the train and had to take a later one. It was just one of those things, I guess.

Examples of one of those things in a Sentence

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But only one of those things has to be returned in the event that the employer and employee decide to part ways. Zaheer Dodhia, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025 Just one of those things were life went [makes a swerving sound]. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025 The bride expects her engagement will be one of those things — the older sister, 35, got pregnant and married at age 21 and never actually received a formal proposal or ring, whereas the younger sister now has. Staff Author, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Cleaning the kitchen is just one of those things that must be done. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 13 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for one of those things

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Cite this Entry

“One of those things.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one%20of%20those%20things. Accessed 21 May. 2025.

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