The Fog Is Coming: Explaining the TikTok Meme & Trend

Download Article

Trend expert Jemaree Jay explains the origins of this eerie yet hilarious meme

Co-authored by Jemaree Jay and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: January 21, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

Meaning

|

Origins & Spread

|

Examples

|

Similar Memes

|

Video

You'd better get ready… the fog is coming. If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you may have seen a lot of videos referring to an ominous fog. But what exactly is it? We spoke with trend expert Jemaree Jay to teach you everything about this eerie meme, including what it means, where it came from, and popular examples. Keep reading to learn more!

What does “the fog is coming” mean?

Trend expert Jemaree Jay says “the fog is coming” is a TikTok trend in which people predict an apocalyptic fog as a joke. People claim the fog is on its way to devour all life, and often list a specific date and location. The meme became popular in 2022 and saw a resurgence in 2023 and late 2025.

Section 1 of 4:

“The Fog is Coming” Meme Meaning

Download Article

“The fog is coming” is a silly meme warning viewers about an ominous fog. Jay says the basis of the meme is “people predicting an apocalyptic fog as a joke… claiming the fog [is] on its way to devour all life.”^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Jemaree Jay
Trend Expert

Expert Interview} Sometimes, the images and videos even offer a specific date and location where the fog is set to spread. The meme is mostly popular on TikTok and Instagram.
- According to Jay, the meme has actually been trending since 2022.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jemaree Jay
  Trend Expert
  
  Expert Interview} The popularity may fade for a while, but it comes back every few years.
- Jay adds that the meme “has no exact meaning” and is instead just an eerie, trendy saying.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jemaree Jay
  Trend Expert
  
  Expert Interview}
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Jemaree Jay is a content creator and trend expert based in Miami, Florida. He specializes in viral social content on Gen Z identity and internet culture. He has over 70k followers and 11.5 million likes on TikTok alone.

Section 2 of 4:

“The Fog is Coming” Origins & Spread

Download Article

1
The meme originated with a tweet from 2021. On November 22, 2021, Twitter (now X) user @Senn_Spud posted a joke about an ominous, all-consuming fog. The tweet read, “So funny when athletes sign these long contracts. Oh you’re gonna be playing for the Yankees in 2031? Buddy the fog is gonna consume us in 2027. The fog is coming. The fog is coming. The fog is coming.”
- The tweet gained over 22,000 likes and 2,300 retweets in 4 months.
- The post was screenshotted and reshared by several Instagram accounts, each gaining thousands of likes by March 2022.
2
It spread to TikTok in 2022. On January 1, 2022, TikToker @caleb_lib shared a video listing his predictions for the year. The on-screen text referenced the fog several times, including “The fog will come in August,” “The fog will come,” “The fog is coming 2022,” and “The fog is coming.” The video gained over 1.4 million views in 2 months.
- On February 9 of that year, TikToker @nationalism6012 shared a video of a cafeteria captioned, “All these people here don’t realize the fog is going to kill us all and there is nothing we can do besides sacrifice to delay its arrival.” It gained over 157,000 views in a month.
- On February 11, TikTok user @trashcanpaul shared a black-and-white image of a man with the caption, “Me staring out my window as sirens begin to sound and the fog creeps closer, consuming everything [in] its path on August 23rd, 2022 at 1:17 AM Eastern Standard time.” It gained over 30,000 views in roughly a month.
3
The meme saw a resurgence in 2023 and 2025. While the trend died down in the latter half of 2022, it gained popularity again in early 2023. On January 18, 2023, YouTuber mr giggler posted a video of “rap battle MrBeast”: Skitzy_VA saying “the fog is coming.” Later that month, TikToker @thefogiscoming15may2023 posted an edit of the clip (that’s since been taken down), saying the fog was coming on May 15, 2023.
- The meme also garnered traction in late 2025, as TikTokers once again began posting eerie videos with their predictions about when the fog is coming. Check out some of these newer examples in the section below!

Section 3 of 4:

Examples of “The Fog is Coming” Memes

Download Article

Many people put their own spin on the meme. There are lots of ways people reference “the fog” in their posts. Some share images, while others create their own videos with specific details. According to Jay, a lot of people make “eerie SpongeBob videos,” featuring clips from the show.^{[4]
X
Expert Source

Jemaree Jay
Trend Expert

Expert Interview} Here are some popular examples:
- This video by TikToker @spongebobschizopost shows SpongeBob dancing in an abandoned bunker with the caption, “POV: You managed to escape the fog in a remote bunker but you realize days after entering that there was already something inside watching you. You don’t know what he’s up to so you act friendly and do a little dance.”
- This video by @sr_noise shows Squidward laughing maniacally while Patrick is passed out with the caption, “It was June 4th 2026, the day before the fog came. I have made my final sacrifice just before I was arrested. I burst out laughing knowing the fog will spare me and I can finally be at peace.”
- TikToker @player_vhs posted a short analog horror video with eerie visuals and an ominous voice that says, “The fog. Do you hear? They come with the fog. He’s already close. It makes sounds like bones cracking. It likes to play with its victim and attacks unexpectedly.”
- TikToker @banjolord99 shared a humorous video listing different reasons he can’t meet up with someone. At one point, he says, “Friday? Ah, I wish. The fog is closing in, and we don’t have that much time.”
- This TikTok by @fogirony features the caption, “‘This year finna be my year.’ Hell nah it ain’t. The fog approaching from Romania on 22.6.2026 is coming to skin us all alive 🤣🤣”