The idiom "after the fact" means that something has happened or been done, and now it's too late to change it. It refers to a situation where the consequences of an action or decision have already occurred, and there is no way to undo or reverse them.
For example, if someone forgets to lock their car and it gets stolen, they might say "I should have locked my car, but now it's after the fact." This means that the theft has already happened, and there's nothing they can do to prevent it.
You can use this idiom in a variety of situations where something has already happened and can't be changed. It's often used to express regret or frustration about a missed opportunity or mistake. For instance, if someone misses a job interview because they forgot the date, they might say "I wish I had remembered, but now it's after the fact."
Overall, "after the fact" is a useful idiom to express the idea that something has already happened and can't be undone.
• After the fact, I realized I forgot my keys at home.
• After the fact, it became clear that the government had known about the impending crisis for months but had failed to act.
• After the fact, she realized that she had made a terrible mistake in choosing her college major.
• The company decided to implement new safety procedures after the fact of several accidents occurring.
• Even after the fact of the scandal being exposed, the company refused to take responsibility for its actions.
• After the fact, he realized that he had misinterpreted the data and had to redo his entire analysis.