more than one bargained for

Definitions

An unexpected and (usually) unwanted result of a decision or action.

idiomatic, uncountable

Examples

“This was more than he had bargained for, and he squeaked shrilly with the pain.”

“The sound⟳ of guns grew louder. . . . [W]hat if the Germans were to break⟳ through and sweep⟳ over all calculations? This was a little more than Jimmie Higgins had bargained for when he entered the recruiting-office in Leesville, U.S.A.!”

“[T]hey found much and more than they had bargained for. Nestled amid the weeds and debris near the bottom of the slope was a human skull.”

“A bull elephant gave tourists in Thailand more than they bargained for on Sunday when it sat on and rubbed itself along their cars.”

CEFR level