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Synonyms

go bananas

Idioms  

  1. Act crazy, as in When it comes to animal rights, some people go bananas. According to the lexicographer J. E. Lighter, this expression may allude to the similar go ape, in that apes and other primates are closely associated with eating bananas. [Slang; second 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.

“All the volatility curves kind of inform each other. It’s hard for bond volatility to go bananas and not bleed into equity volatility.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 3, 2026

Confession: I don’t always go bananas for depictions of food in art, but April brings a smattering of excellent and tasty shows.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 19, 2024

Picky eating is one of those challenges that’s practically guaranteed to make parents go bananas.

From Washington Post • May 31, 2022

All of them are strong contenders but, as Grammy-watchers know, the pressure of deciding the awards frequently makes voters go bananas.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2021

One bad day, and that cat could go bananas and shred the whole place.

From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.