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Synonyms

hell to pay

Idioms  
  1. Great trouble, as in If we're wrong there'll be hell to pay. [c. 1800]


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

"If that was an England footballer, there would be hell to pay," he said.

From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026

When she finds out, there is hell to pay.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025

He did not identify the Kremlin faction but said that it continued its attempts to sow discord, it would have "hell to pay".

From Reuters ● Jun. 3, 2023

Harvey responded, “It’s going to be a lot of hell to pay at your house.”

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 24, 2023

If he ever pulled the pointer antics with, say, somebody like Carter, there’d be hell to pay.

From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

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