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3. come out of the woodwork

come out of the woodwork

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come out of the woodwork

also crawl out of the woodwork

to appear suddenly and unexpectedly If you try to lose weight, people will come out of the woodwork to offer advice.

Usage notes: usually said about someone who was not invited or wanted

Etymology: based on the idea of insects that suddenly come out from under boards in a house where they have been hidden

See also: come, of, out, woodwork

come/crawl out of the woodwork

to appear after being hidden or not active for a long time, especially in order to do something unpleasant After you've been in a relationship for a long while, all sorts of little secrets start to come out of the woodwork. Racists and extreme nationalists are crawling out of the woodwork to protest at the sudden increase in the number of immigrants.

See also: come, of, out, woodwork