reap the consequences

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiom

   To experience the bad results of something you have done.

   Grammar: Used as a verb phrase. Often followed by 'of' and the action: reap the consequences of your actions.

   Patterns

   • reap the consequences of something
   • reap the consequences for doing something

   If you don't study for the exam, you will reap the consequences.

   The company is now reaping the consequences of its poor decisions.

   He lied to his boss and had to reap the consequences when the truth came out.

Common combinations

reap the consequences of your actions

If you break the rules, you must be prepared to reap the consequences of your actions.

reap the consequences of a decision

The government is reaping the consequences of its decision to cut funding.

reap the consequences later

You might enjoy cheating now, but you'll reap the consequences later.

reap the consequences for something

She reaped the consequences for not following the safety rules.

Synonyms and how they differ

face the consequences

Face the consequences means to accept the bad results, often willingly; reap the consequences emphasizes actually experiencing them.

pay the price

Pay the price is more informal and often suggests a heavy cost; reap the consequences is slightly more formal and neutral.

suffer the consequences

Suffer the consequences focuses on the pain or difficulty of the results; reap the consequences is more neutral and simply means to get the results.

Opposites

Commonly confused: reap the consequences or reap the benefits?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “reap the consequences”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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