English Reference
Idiom idiom

come knocking


To arrive unanticipated and uninvited.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

Opportunity will come knocking when you least expect it.

CONTEXTUAL

He ignored his health for years, but eventually, the consequences came knocking at his door.

COMPLEX

Though she spent her life avoiding the shadows of her past, the truth eventually came knocking with an insistence that could no longer be ignored.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    appetite comes with eating

    Starting an activity increases one's desire to continue it.

  2. 02

    as they come

    As it is possible to be.

  3. 03

    blow to kingdom come

    To totally destroy (something); to annihilate or wipe out (something).

  4. 04

    burn that bridge when one comes to it

    To anticipate dealing with a problem or situation either by acting in a manner that alienates or cuts ties with others, or merely with the expectation of encountering trouble.

  5. 05

    Christmas come early

    Something very delightful or fortunate that is happening or has happened, especially earlier than expected.

  6. 06

    come a cropper

    To suffer some accident or misfortune; to fail.

  7. 07

    come a long way

    To make significant progress.

  8. 08

    come again

    A polite formula used when one has not heard or understood what has been said, or to indicate surprise.

Last updated August 10, 2026