out of control

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

And it is now spiraling out of control.

From Salon

“There was a perception that things were out of control, coupled with this financial crisis,” said Lindheim, who endorsed Lee.

From Los Angeles Times

"But the further you push people to the wall, the more you may find that they have cards that you didn't know they had – and they might be willing to play them. And even if you have more cards, the consequences of doing so can easily spiral out of control in some really bad ways."

From BBC

In a 2002 interview with The Times, director Steven Soderbergh described Katt’s work as “dangerously out of control” but rigorously prepared for his performances.

From Los Angeles Times

But one such fire this year in the Preseli Hills, near the village of Brynberian, got out of control in high winds.

From BBC