Synonyms

go haywire

Cultural

To break down or cease to function properly: “Everything was going smoothly until the computer started to go haywire.”

go haywire Idioms

Become wildly confused, out of control, or crazy. For example, The plans for the party have gone haywire, or His enemies accused the mayor of going haywire. This term alludes to the wire used for bundling hay, which is hard to handle and readily tangled. [First half of 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

go haywire

The third inning, however, started to go haywire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026

He said he had no premonitions that things were about to go haywire.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 27, 2026

Things go haywire from here, and DeYoung has the rare opportunity to punch as hard as he possibly can.

From Salon ● May 12, 2025

It makes it much easier for some immune cells to go haywire and drive excessive inflammation in the bowels.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2024

Their powers tended to make electronic gadgets go haywire.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023