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Glite Dictionary
to reap what you sow

to reap what you sow

8 6.0
To get the results of your actions, good or bad
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : cosechar lo que siembras
  • Just as individuals "reap what they sow," so do nations.
  • reap what you sow," he said

But what Christianity is this idea that you will reap what you sow?

Examples

  • The events of the last couple of days are a stark reminder that you reap what you sow.

    Blog text (27)

  • But, Erica, you cannot go around and treat people any kind of way and think that good things are gonna happen to you, because you will reap what you sow.

    Man of Her Dreams (2009)

  • Because you shall reap what you sow.

    Nickel Boys (2024)

  • You simply reap what you sow.

    The Curse of Downers Grove (2015)

  • You will reap what you sow.

    Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)

  • You reap what you sow.

    Muriel's Wedding (1994)

  • God has laws, and when you break His laws, you are free to reap what you sow.

    Blog text (25)

  • Guess the old saying still applies: "You reap what you sow."

    Blog text (14)

  • The Holy Bible teaches us that you reap what you sow.

    Malcolm X (1992)

  • If you are dishonest in business, you will reap what you sow and face the consequences.

Synonyms

to get what's coming to someone
vsto reap what you sow
  • Informal
13 6.7

To receive punishment or bad results for doing wrong

is broader, covering any consequences of one's choices rather than just punishment
to pay the piper
vsto reap what you sow
  • Informal
9 7.7

Accept the bad result of something you did

is not only unpleasant outcomes but any results from personal behaviour
to pay the fiddler
vsto reap what you sow
  • Archaic
1 8.9

Face the bad results of your actions after enjoying something

is general cause-and-effect, not limited to post-enjoyment consequences
to get one's lumps
vsto reap what you sow
  • Informal
8.6

To be punished for something you did wrong

is broader, meaning any consequence from choices, not only punishment

How Serious

to reap what you sow
  • Informal
8 6.0
to step on a rake
  • Informal
8.6
to slip up
  • Informal
27 4.1

Surface Forms

reap what you sow infinitive

Morphology

reap + what + you + sow

The expression maps a clear agricultural metaphor: 'sow' (plant seeds = take actions) and 'reap' (harvest = receive results), so a learner who knows the verbs can often infer the general cause–consequence meaning. However, it is proverbial and metaphorical rather than strictly compositional, so the precise sense 'experience the moral or practical consequences of your actions' may not be fully predictable without prior exposure despite cross‑linguistic parallels.

Etymology

Reap what you sow comes from farming: you sow, or plant seeds, and later reap the harvest, so what you get depends on what you planted. That's why it means 'to get what you deserve' or 'to face the results of your actions'.