out of control

Idioms  

1. Also, out of hand. No longer under management, direction, or regulation; unmanageable or unruly. For example, Housing costs are out of control, or The children were getting out of hand again. The first term uses control in the sense of “restraint,” a usage dating from the late 1500s; the variant uses hand in the sense of “power” or “authority,” and dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

The suspect spun out of control and crashed into a wall in Jurupa Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Last week, we asked you to tell us about your biggest money mistakes — and you opened up about everything from dicey stock-market bets to spending habits that got out of control.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

The war could quickly spiral out of control, even with the vast superiority of the American military, he added.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Everything is out of control, and Charlie and Emma are left to head home on their own to figure out the next steps, if there are any next steps to be taken at all.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Too much sound, and our heads vibrate out of control.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari