Definition
作茧自缚 literally means 'to spin a cocoon and tie oneself up' — an image taken from silkworms. It's a chengyu used to describe situations where someone's own actions, plans, or words end up trapping or restricting them. You use it when someone has created a problem for themselves that they can't easily escape, often because they overcomplicated things or made a short-sighted choice.
idiom
to be caught in one's own trapto hoist with one's own petardto bring trouble on oneself
Examples
- ，作茧自缚，。Tā wèile yǎnqián lìyì shuōhuǎng, jiéguǒ zuò jiǎn zì fú, lián péngyou dōu shīqù le.He lied for short-term gain and ended up caught in his own web, losing even his friends.
- ，作茧自缚，。Gōngsī gǎo tài duō tiáotiáokuàngkuàng, fǎn'ér zuò jiǎn zì fú, yuángōng dōu méi fǎ línghuó gōngzuò.The company created so many rigid rules that it trapped itself — employees couldn't work flexibly anymore.
- ，作茧自缚。Zuò juécè qián duō tīngtīng biérén yìjiàn, miǎnde zuò jiǎn zì fú hòuhuǐ mòjí.Listen to others before making decisions, or you'll end up tying yourself in knots and regret it too late.
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