brought upon themselves

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "brought upon themselves" is correct and can be used in written English.
You could use this phrase when describing a situation in which someone has suffered consequences due to their own actions. For example, "The citizens of the town had to face the consequences brought upon themselves by their lack of preparation for the storm."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

15 human-written examples

The final whistle signaled what both teams brought upon themselves.

The New York Times - Sports

Democrats insist this is what Republicans have brought upon themselves.

The Guardian

Who now would like to emulate in any way the disaster that the Europeans have brought upon themselves?

The New York Times

The Jacobs story ends just before the reader finds out what calamities the old couple have brought upon themselves.

The New York Times

Soon the malady came to be widely considered a personality disorder or something that sufferers brought upon themselves.

The New York Times

For others in this deeply religious and largely Latino city, the fight is one that city leaders brought upon themselves and have badly bungled.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

In response, a group of Liberian women have coined a new mantra: "I am a Liberian, not a virus". In a video, one of those women, Shoana Clarke Solomon, described an experience shared by many Liberians who feel blamed for a virus they did nothing to bring upon themselves.

The Washington Post

There are questions about the value and economic impetus for software piracy, but a lot of the problems software manufacturers bring upon themselves — like lying about the real economic effect.

TechCrunch

When it comes down to it, mental health conditions are not something most people willingly bring upon themselves.

Huffington Post

But there are comparisons that filmmakers bring upon themselves by means of references to other movies.

The New Yorker

The Deputy Defense Minister, Matan Vilnai, warned that Gazans were "bringing upon themselves a greater Shoah, because we will use all our strength in every way we deem appropriate".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "brought upon themselves" when you want to clearly indicate that the consequences were a direct result of someone's actions, choices or behaviors. For example: "The company's financial difficulties were largely brought upon themselves by their poor investment decisions."

Common error

Avoid using the non-standard form 'broughten'. The correct past participle of 'bring' is 'brought'. Therefore, always use "brought upon themselves", not 'broughten upon themselves'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "brought upon themselves" functions as a qualifier, indicating that a situation or consequence is the direct result of someone's own actions. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

56%

Encyclopedias

14%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Science

4%

Wiki

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "brought upon themselves" is used to convey that an individual or group is responsible for the negative consequences they are experiencing due to their own actions. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, this phrase is grammatically correct and used across diverse fields like news, encyclopedias, and academia. While not extremely common, its presence in authoritative sources suggests its validity in formal and informal communication. When writing, ensure that you're using the correct past participle form ('brought' not 'broughten'). Consider alternatives like "self-inflicted" or "of their own making" to subtly alter the tone and meaning to make it more precise.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

brought it on themselves

Slightly more informal, this is a shortened version with the same core meaning.

invited upon themselves

Focuses on the aspect of actively inviting or attracting the outcome.

caused by their own actions

Directly states that the actions were the cause of the result.

self-inflicted

Emphasizes the role of oneself in bringing about the negative outcome.

of their own making

Highlights the creation or construction of the situation by the individuals themselves.

reaped what they sowed

Uses a metaphor to suggest that the consequences are a direct result of previous actions.

incurred by their choices

Emphasizes that specific choices led to a particular event or situation.

precipitated by their deeds

Highlights that specific actions led to a particular event or situation.

earned through their behavior

Focuses on the idea that the outcome was deserved based on conduct.

are responsible for

Focuses on the aspect of attributing responsibility or fault.

FAQs

How can I use "brought upon themselves" in a sentence?

Use "brought upon themselves" to indicate that someone experienced negative consequences as a result of their own actions. For example, "The team's loss was brought upon themselves by their lack of preparation."

What does "brought upon themselves" mean?

The phrase "brought upon themselves" signifies that someone has caused something (usually negative) to happen to themselves through their own actions or behavior. It implies responsibility for the outcome.

What's a more formal alternative to "brought upon themselves"?

More formal alternatives include "incurred by their actions" or "caused by their own actions", which convey a similar meaning in a more elevated tone.

Is it correct to say "bring upon themselves"?

Yes, "bring upon themselves" is the infinitive form, while "brought upon themselves" is the past participle. The choice depends on the tense of the sentence. For example: "Their actions will bring consequences upon themselves" (future) vs. "They brought this situation upon themselves" (past).