Looking for synonyms for what goes around comes around? We’ve got you covered!
Here’s a list of other ways to say what goes around comes around.
- Karma
- Payback
- You reap what you sow
- Just desserts
- Poetic justice
- The wheel turns
- As you sow, so shall you reap
- Chickens come home to roost
- Tit for tat
- Boomerang effect
- The law of cause and effect
- Full circle
- Turnabout
- What you give is what you get
- Every action has a consequence
Want to learn how to say what goes around comes around professionally? Keep reading for examples and use cases.
1. Karma
Appropriate Use: Suitable for referring to the concept of actions influencing future events.
Example: “In business, karma often plays out through the reputation you build with your actions.”
2. Payback
Appropriate Use: Ideal for a situation where one’s actions lead to reward or retribution.
Example: “The unfair treatment of employees resulted in payback when key staff members left.”
3. You reap what you sow
Appropriate Use: Used to imply that actions have consequences, good or bad.
Example: “Their investment in employee training is a case of you reap what you sow, as productivity has soared.”
4. Just desserts
Appropriate Use: Suitable for getting what one deserves, often with a sense of justice.
Example: “After years of hard work, her promotion felt like just desserts.”
5. Poetic justice
Appropriate Use: Refers to a fitting or deserved retribution for actions.
Example: “It was poetic justice when the dishonest manager was finally held accountable.”
6. The wheel turns
Appropriate Use: Ideal for conveying that situations change, often reversing over time.
Example: “In the fast-changing tech industry, the wheel turns quickly, and today’s leaders can quickly become tomorrow’s followers.”
7. As you sow, so shall you reap
Appropriate Use: Used for emphasizing that actions dictate future results.
Example: “Their focus on customer satisfaction proves the principle, ‘as you sow, so shall you reap’.”
8. Chickens come home to roost
Appropriate Use: Suitable for bad actions or mistakes catching up with someone.
Example: “The company’s neglect of environmental regulations was a case of chickens coming home to roost when they faced legal action.”
9. Tit for tat
Appropriate Use: Refers to actions giving rise to retaliation or similar treatment.
Example: “The trade war between the two countries was a tit for tat situation.”
10. Boomerang effect
Appropriate Use: Ideal for actions that return to negatively affect the initiator.
Example: “Their aggressive marketing strategies had a boomerang effect, alienating potential customers.”
11. The law of cause and effect
Appropriate Use: Used for situations where actions or decisions lead to corresponding outcomes.
Example: “In project management, the law of cause and effect is always at play.”
12. Full circle
Appropriate Use: Suitable for situations returning to their original state or point of origin.
Example: “After several mergers and acquisitions, the company’s ownership came full circle back to the founding family.”
13. Turnabout
Appropriate Use: Refers to a reversal in position or circumstances.
Example: “The sudden turnabout in market trends took many investors by surprise.”
14. What you give is what you get
Appropriate Use: Ideal for expressing that outcomes correspond to the effort or energy put in.
Example: “In customer relations, what you give is what you get.”
15. Every action has a consequence
Appropriate Use: Used for emphasizing that all actions, positive or negative, lead to results.
Example: “In environmental policy, it’s clear that every action has a consequence.”