Come hell or high water

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Grammarist

Come hell or high water is an idiom with a fuzzy origin. We will examine the meaning of the common phrase come hell or high water, where it probably came from, and some examples of its idiomatic usage in sentences.

Come hell or high water is an idiom that means one will complete a task or achieve success no matter what, that one will overcome any difficulty that may arise in order to achieve a goal. The declaration is one of determination. The expression come hell or high water is first seen in print in the 1870s; however, the phrase seems to have already been in popular use before that time. In any case, the phrase come hell or high water seems to have originated in the United States, a country filled with pioneers who had to deal with any number of obstacles to carve homes out of the frontier.

Examples

And though she hasn’t had much luck with her romantic or business ventures so far, with such grit, we’re sure she will succeed one day, come hell or high water. (Mumbai Mirror)

“What I’ve learned, after listening to hours of conversations with so many incredible humans is this: music is a force of energy, and come hell or high water, it will sustain,” says Deike. (Billboard Magazine)

“I was so angry that something like this could happen in America that I decided I was going to get involved, come hell or high water.” (The Florida Phoenix)

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