come apart at the seams

Idioms and Phrases

Also, come unglued or unstuck . Become extremely upset; break down. For example, After he lost his job Brad seemed to come apart at the seams or The proposed bank merger is coming unglued , or When her last play flopped she became completely unstuck . This idiom transfers physical to emotional disintegration. [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

Related Words

• flop
• stumble
• wallow