# rod for one's back

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rod-for-ones-back
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

The means of one's own punishment or downfall.

## Examples

- By lying to your boss, you make a rod for your own back.
- If you promise to finish this project by tomorrow, you are making a rod for your own back.
- 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.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.