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have a sting in the/its tail
UKDefinition
› If something, such as a story or joke, has a sting in the/its tail, it has a surprising or unpleasant part that only becomes clear at the end.Surprising and shockingMaking people sad, shocked and upset
(Definition of have a sting in the/its tail from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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have a screw loose idiom
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have a senior moment idiom
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have a sharp tongue idiom
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have a short fuse idiom
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have a short memory idiom
- have a sting in the/its tail idiom
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have a strong stomach idiom
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have a strop on idiom
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have a thin time (of it) idiom
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have a thing about sth/sb idiom
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have a weak stomach idiom
Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus: Surprising and shocking
Synonyms and related words:
- a blinding flash idiom
- a bolt from/out of the blue idiom
- amaze verb
- amazing adjective
- astonish verb
- catch sb with their pants/trousers down idiom
- confound verb
- creep up on/behind sb phrasal verb
- dynamite noun
- earth-shattering adjective
- reality check noun
- shock tactics noun
- shocking adjective (SURPRISING)
- spring sth on sb phrasal verb
- staggering adjective
- turn-up for the book(s) idiom
- turn-up noun (EVENT)
- unbelievable adjective (SURPRISING)
- walk in on sb phrasal verb
- world-shattering adjective
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