sackcloth and ashes

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I would absolutely beg on my hands and knees in the Senate chamber or anywhere else, in sackcloth and ashes and on broken glass, if I thought it would help.

From Los Angeles Times

The source added that the EU wasn't in "sackcloth and ashes" after it temporarily suspended agreements made as part of the Brexit deal last Friday.

From BBC

Saying that he remained confident that Mr. Biden would ultimately win the presidency, he joked, “I am wearing sackcloth and ashes.”

From New York Times

In recalling such a sordid piece of news—now twenty years old today—I’m still left feeling what I did two decades ago when this story first broke: sackcloth and ashes.

From Washington Times

But don’t panic. It’s not because the wheels somehow fell off the fashion bus, dooming us to a future of wearing sackcloth and ashes.

From Los Angeles Times