the plot thickens

idiom

Meaning

Used to describe an increasingly complex or mysterious situation.

Origin

first recorded 17th c.

From the satirical play The Rehearsal. First attested in 1671.

Examples

SIMPLE

The plot thickens as we find more clues.

CONTEXTUAL

I thought the mystery was solved, but then the plot thickens when a new witness appears.

COMPLEX

As the detective uncovered a hidden connection between the suspects, he realized the plot thickens, revealing a conspiracy far deeper than he had initially imagined.

Anchors to

plot
thickens

Related idioms2entries

01
for the plot
Everything happens for a reason.
02
lose the plot
To cease to behave in a consistent or rational manner.