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

However, the system did not stop the suspect, who spun out of control after being tapped by the Grappler and crossed three lanes of traffic before crashing into a wall, according to television footage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

It would be unwise to bet against events spiralling out of control.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

It can feel as if you are spinning out of control in a Tilt-A-Whirl ride at an amusement park.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 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

Increasingly alarmed that the situation was escalating out of control, the chief phoned the mayor-elect, even though Grabarek would not assume office until Monday.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson