come back to bite someone
come back to bite someone — idiom
1. A past mistake or something ignored that later causes unexpected trouble or harm
A past mistake or something ignored that later causes unexpected trouble or harm, especially because you did not deal with it when you should have.
Michael ignored his car's strange noise, and it came back to bite him on the highway.
A bad health score might come back to bite the restaurant if customers find the old reviews.
future warning: might come back to bite [someone]
Kemi's careless joke about her boss came back to bite her during the reference check.
If you share private information online, it can come back to bite you years later.
Nikhil's decision to skip practice came back to bite him during the final match.
- backfire
less personal; describes a plan or action that fails and causes harm instead of the intended good result
- come back to haunt
slightly more formal; often used for memories, secrets, or past actions that cause emotional distress
- pay off
when a past risk or effort brings a good result instead of trouble
用法筆記
Commonly used as a warning in future tense ('it will come back to bite you'). Subject is typically an action, decision, or situation — not a person.