Coming Down the Pike or Pipe | Idiom & Examples
Coming down the pike is an idiom that means something is approaching or expected in the future.
Coming down the pipe does not appear in dictionaries but is used in modern, informal English to mean the same as coming down the pike.
Coming down the pike
Coming down the pike means something is approaching or expected to arrive or happen in the future.
“Pike” is a shortened form of “turnpike,” a type of road. So, coming down the pike essentially means “coming down the road.”
I’ve heard a few exciting opportunities for summer internships are coming down the pike.
Three new historical dramas are coming down the pike this fall.
For example:
- This is one of the best TV shows to come down the pike in a long time.
- A system overhaul came down the pike last summer.
- If a better option had come down the pike, I would have taken it.
Coming down the pipe
Coming down the pipe is a misuse of coming down the pike. This version of the idiom may have developed out of confusion with another, similar idiom—“in the pipeline”—which means something is in progress or underway.
Coming down the pipe does not appear in the dictionary and is technically not correct. However, that hasn’t stopped people from using this version. For example, a Google search for this phrase reveals just as many results as coming down the pike.
The football team has a tough game coming down the pipe next month.
The designer has a new fashion line coming down the pipe.
Coming down the pipe or pike?
You can use either option, but coming down the pike is technically the only correct version of this idiom. Coming down the pipe is gaining popularity, but consider your context before using it.
If you want to avoid both these phrases, you could use a synonym to express the idea of something coming.
| Synonym | Coming down the pike example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|
| On the horizon | A breakthrough in cancer treatment is coming down the pike. | A breakthrough in cancer treatment is on the horizon. |
| In the works | The author has another book coming down the pike. | The author has another book in the works. |
| Coming up | The annual event is coming down the pike, so we need to finalize the details. | The annual event is coming up, so we need to finalize the details. |
| Around the corner | With the holidays coming down the pike, we need to hire some support staff. | With the holidays around the corner, we need to hire some support staff. |
| In store | We have lots of cool developments coming down the pike, but we can’t announce them just yet. | We have lots of cool developments in store, but we can’t announce them just yet. |
| Forthcoming | The auteur’s latest film is coming down the pike, and critics and fans alike are excited. | The auteur’s latest film is forthcoming, and critics and fans alike are excited. |
| Soon to come | Changes to the transit system are coming down the pike, and hopefully they’ll make life easier for residents. | Changes to the transit system are forthcoming, and hopefully they’ll make life easier for residents. |
| Approaching | As the deadline is coming down the pike, we need to devote all our focus to the project. | As the deadline is approaching, we need to devote all our focus to the project. |
Or, use QuillBot’s free Paraphraser to find other words to express the meaning behind coming down the pike.
Frequently asked questions about coming down the pike or pipe
- What’s the meaning of coming down the pike?
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“Coming down the pike” is an idiom that means “coming down the road.” “Pike” comes from “turnpike,” a type of road. This idiom is often used metaphorically to talk about something approaching or expected in the future.
People sometimes say coming down the pike or pipe. “Coming down the pike” is the correct version, but “coming down the pipe” is gaining popularity.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can ensure you use the correct version of this idiom.
- What is a pike?
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“Pike” is a noun that has several meanings.
It can be short for “turnpike,” a type of road. In this context, it’s used in the idiom coming down the pike, which talks about something coming in the future.
“Pike” is also a freshwater fish and a type of Medieval weapon similar to a spear.
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you use this word correctly, regardless of meaning.
- What is a turnpike?
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The noun “turnpike” refers to a toll road.
Historically, a “turnpike” was a road where pikes—or long sticks—blocked a traveler’s way until they paid a toll. Nowadays, it’s used in American English to refer to an expressway.
“Turnpike” may be shortened to “pike,” like in the idiom coming down the pike, which means “coming down the road.”
A QuillBot Grammar Check can make sure you use “turnpike” correctly in your writing.
- What’s the meaning of coming soon?
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“Coming soon” means “expected to arrive or debut in the near future.”
This adjective phrase can be used in diverse contexts to talk about upcoming products, services, media, or events (e.g., “The director’s new movie is coming soon”).
Some synonyms for “coming soon” are:
- Forthcoming
- Imminent
- On the way
- Around the corner
- Coming down the pike
QuillBot’s free Paraphraser can help you find other phrases that mean “coming soon.”
