out of hand

1. At once, immediately, as in The second surgeon rejected the doctor's treatment plan out of hand . [1300s]

2. See out of control .

Example Sentences

"He's not an evil guy. He enjoyed smoking and it got out of hand," said his childhood friend Marty.

From BBC

UCLA’s defense was dominant against a winless opponent Friday night, with the Bruins controlling a game that quickly got out of hand.

From Los Angeles Times

But Jacqueline Simon, the policy director of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal government workers, does not dismiss the assertions out of hand.

From New York Times

“Then I was like this is actually really serious, actually getting out of hand.”

From BBC

After hearing Wimberley’s “spiel” at a meeting of local landowners not long ago, she committed to burning even though she was “really intimidated, and really afraid things will get out of hand.”

From Salon

Related Words

• rampant
• unbridled
• unchecked
• uncontrolled
• unrestrained