see/read the writing/handwriting on the wall
phrase
: to be aware that something bad will probably happen soon
No one told him he was going to be fired, but he could see the writing on the wall.
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“See/read the writing/handwriting on the wall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/see%2Fread%20the%20writing%2Fhandwriting%20on%20the%20wall. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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