all bets are off

American  

[awl bets ahr awf, of] / ˈɔl ˈbɛts ˌɑr ˈɔf, ˈɒf /

idiom

1. (used when the outcome of a situation is too uncertain to predict).

   We have to make it to the meeting place by 5:30 or all bets are off.

   The individual ingredients may be safe, but once you mix them up into a brew, all bets are off.

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Etymology

Origin of all bets are off

First recorded in 1830–40, in reference to horse races

Example Sentences

Vanessa passed away in the comic books in two different ways, but that takes Fisk now into a place where, for me, all bets are off.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

But, he said, New York City is "a big place, it's a complicated place, and so, all bets are off about whether these things can happen or not".

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2026

But the wildfires ablaze in Los Angeles right now, whose total destruction remains to be seen, show all bets are off when it comes to what defines wildfire season.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2025

Should those fur babies be canine, however, all bets are off.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 25, 2023

Funny how distress takes away one’s appetite for real food, but when sweets are involved, all bets are off.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall