go haywire

1. To break down or cease to function properly: “Everything was going smoothly until the computer started to go haywire.”

Idioms and Phrases

Become wildly confused, out of control, or crazy. For example, The plans for the party have gone haywire , or His enemies accused the mayor of going haywire . This term alludes to the wire used for bundling hay, which is hard to handle and readily tangled. [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

It makes it much easier for some immune cells to go haywire and drive excessive inflammation in the bowels.

From BBC

There's every reason to believe this trial could go haywire.

From Salon

So there's every reason to believe this trial could go haywire.

From Salon

It's during this crucial period of cell division that things can go haywire.

From Science Daily

When altered by a mutation, these growth-moderating genes go haywire, producing a geyser of cancer cells as a result.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• depart
• differ
• diverge
• vary
• veer