checkered past

Frequency: 7.51.1 per million words

refers to an individual's background, often implying it contains questionable or controversial events.

checkeredADJECTIVE + NOUN

Categories:

past

Examples (10)

  • The politician's checkered past came back to haunt him during the election.
  • Despite his checkered past, he has become a respected member of the community.
  • The company has a checkered past when it comes to environmental regulations.
  • Many successful people have a checkered past they've had to overcome.
  • Are you aware of the candidate's rather checkered past?
  • She tried to hide her checkered past from her new friends.
  • The famous author had a surprisingly checkered past involving espionage and debt.
  • Investors were wary of his checkered past in the business world.
  • He was open about his checkered past from the beginning of their relationship.
  • The city itself has a checkered past, rising from corruption to become a model of urban renewal.