bad things come in threes

proverb

bad things come in threes

proverb

Etymology Rooted in human predispositions for such cognitive biases as pareidolia and superstition.

1

If one unfortunate event has already occurred, a second and third are likely to occur; if two, a third should be expected.

Coordinate terms
it never rains but it pours, misfortunes never come singly

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.