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
Recent Examples on the Web
And one of those things is what the suspect in the kidnapping looks like.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Feb. 2026
But it's just been one of those things.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Lunch meats are one of those things that often evade clean-outs.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
But that’s one of those things that is going to be a part of the future calendar discussions.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for one of those things
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 13 Feb. 2026
But it's just been one of those things.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Lunch meats are one of those things that often evade clean-outs.
—Heather Bien, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
But that’s one of those things that is going to be a part of the future calendar discussions.
—Connor Riley, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for one of those things
Cite this Entry
“One of those things.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/one%20of%20those%20things. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
