Coming Down the Pike vs. Coming Down the Pipe: Which One Is Correct?

These two phrases look similar, but only one is the original idiom.

Coming down the pike → ✔ Correct (meaning: coming soon / on the way) Coming down the pipe → ✘ Common variation, but not the original idiom

“Pike” refers to a turnpike — an old-fashioned highway — so “coming down the pike” literally meant something appearing on the road ahead.

1. Coming Down the Pike

Meaning

Coming down the pike means something is approaching, coming soon, or expected in the near future.

It is the historically correct and widely accepted form.

Examples (10 total)

1. Big changes are coming down the pike.
2. We have new features coming down the pike.
3. More updates are coming down the pike this year.
4. A new product line is coming down the pike soon.
5. They warned that new regulations are coming down the pike.
6. Exciting opportunities are coming down the pike.
7. Several announcements are coming down the pike next month.
8. Big trends are coming down the pike in tech.
9. More job openings are coming down the pike.
10. Strong competition is coming down the pike.

🧠 Tip:
If you mean upcoming, in the pipeline, or on the way, choose coming down the pike.

2. Coming Down the Pipe

Meaning

Coming down the pipe is a modern rephrasing.
People confuse “pike” with “pipe,” especially because of phrases like “in the pipeline.”

It’s widely heard in casual speech, but many consider it incorrect in formal writing.

It often carries a slightly different nuance:

• something literally traveling through a pipe
• or something being processed or delivered (similar to “in the pipeline”)

Examples (10 total – informal variation)

1. We have several updates coming down the pipe.
2. More projects are coming down the pipe this quarter.
3. New features are coming down the pipe soon.
4. Big announcements are coming down the pipe.
5. There’s more work coming down the pipe next week.
6. Improvements are coming down the pipe.
7. New policies are coming down the pipe.
8. Training materials are coming down the pipe.
9. Better tools are coming down the pipe for our team.
10. Big upgrades are coming down the pipe.

🧠 Tip:
Use coming down the pike for correctness.
Use pipe only if you're comfortable with the informal twist.

3. Quick Comparison Table

4. How to Remember

👉 Pike = highway → something approaching
👉 Pipe = plumbing → literal flow through a pipe

Memory trick:
If it’s a future event, it's coming down the pike, not the pipe.

5. Common Mistakes

❌ Writing “coming down the pipe” in professional writing
✔ Use coming down the pike

❌ Thinking “pipe” is the original idiom
✔ “Pike” came first; “pipe” is a modern misheard version

❌ Confusing it with “in the pipeline”
✔ Different phrases, similar meaning

Writing More Naturally

To sound polished and idiomatic, stick with coming down the pike. If you want help catching subtle idiom mistakes and making your writing smoother, an AI humanizer can refine your sentences automatically.

FAQs

1. Which phrase is correct?

Coming down the pike is the original and recognized form.

2. Is “coming down the pipe” wrong?

Not strictly wrong — but considered informal and nonstandard.

3. Do both phrases mean “coming soon”?

Yes, but pike is preferred for formal and correct usage.

4. Is “pike” related to “turnpike”?

Yes — that’s where the idiom originates.

Practice: Choose the Correct Phrase

(Answers are at the end.)

1. Big changes are __________.
2. We have several new features __________ soon.
3. A major update is __________ next month.
4. More job openings are __________ this quarter.
5. Important regulations are __________ soon.

Answers

(All should use coming down the pike for correct, standard English.)

1. coming down the pike
2. coming down the pike
3. coming down the pike
4. coming down the pike
5. coming down the pike