come knocking

English

Verb

come knocking (third-person singular simple present comes knocking, present participle coming knocking, simple past came knocking, past participle come knocking)

1. (idiomatic) To arrive unanticipated and uninvited.
   • 1907, The Little Sister:

     So I put up bar and shutter
     When the wind goes howling by.
     For I know when it comes knocking
     That some evil thing is nigh.

   • 1999, Jerry Newcombe, Kirsti Newcombe, A Way of Escape: Experiencing God's Victory Over Temptation, page 218:

     So, putting all these thoughts together, what do we do when temptation comes knocking?

   • 2023, BEANO Where’s Gnasher?, page 2:

     Dennis Menace Dennis is always in trouble — and it's not always his fault. If trouble comes knocking, it comes knocking for Dennis.