one of those things

noun phrase

informal
used to refer to a bad or unfortunate experience that happened and to say that such experiences can happen to anyone
I missed the train and had to take a later one. It was just one of those things, I guess.

Examples of one of those things in a Sentence

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This is another one of those things that should be done. Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025 Titch abandoning him was one of those things, and so to have that scene at the end is closure. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 23 July 2025 Sometimes land acknowledgments can be one of those things that makes the people doing them feel better, but ultimately isn't really making any change. Tonya Mosley, NPR, 21 July 2025 Opuntia cactus fruits, also known as prickly pears, are one of those things best enjoyed in their purest form, according to Johnny Ortiz‑Concha of / Shed in Taos, New Mexico. Johnny Ortiz-Concha, Saveur, 10 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for one of those things

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“One of those things.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one%20of%20those%20things. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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