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

See Examples For:

out of control

The Microsoft co-founder said the risk of AI "getting out of control" remained years away and emphasized that the immediate concern was "bad people" using existing systems without safeguards.

From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026

Colapinto said: "I can be sorry to everyone. It's been a big mistake, of course. I just locked up and then I was very out of control."

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Manchester City's legal fight with the Premier League has the potential to "spiral out of control", a former top club executive has warned.

From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026

Learning is taking place at a rapid rate today, but it’s an illusion that the AI companies are out of control.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

I looked up and saw Aunt Kitty racing ahead of the rest of us, her horse bolting out of control like it had been bitten by a snake.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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