ENGLISH
REFERENCE

rod for one's back

idiom
Meaning

The means of one's own punishment or downfall.


Examples
SIMPLE

By lying to your boss, you make a rod for your own back.

CONTEXTUAL

If you promise to finish this project by tomorrow, you are making a rod for your own back.

COMPLEX

By refusing to delegate any responsibilities to his team, the manager inadvertently created a rod for his own back when the workload became impossible to manage alone.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    abound in one's own sense

    To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

  2. 02

    ace up one's sleeve

    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

  3. 03

    act one's age

    To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.

  4. 04

    act one's age, not one's shoe size

    Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).

  5. 05

    afraid of one's own shadow

    Exceptionally timid.

  6. 06

    air one's dirty laundry in public

    To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.

  7. 07

    air one's dirty linen in public

    Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

  8. 08

    albatross around one's neck

    A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.

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