pull a rabbit out of (your) hat

to do something surprising.

You didn't know how the story would end and then the author pulled a rabbit out of her hat, and it all made sense.

Usage notes: sometimes used to describe a surprising solution to a problem:

The governor pulled a rabbit out of a hat by putting together a budget without increasing taxes.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of pull a rabbit out of a hat, which is often done as a magic trick

• low ebb
• low-end
• lower guard
• lower sights
• lower the boom
• lower the tone
• lower your guard
• lower your sights
• lowest common denominator
• lowest of the low
• low-key
• low life
• low man on the totem pole
• low on the totem pole
• luck into
• center on someone
• center on something
• C'est la vie.
• chalk something up to
• chalk something up to something else
• chalk up
• chalk up something
• chalk up to
• chalk up to something else
• champ at the bit