go haywire

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

Idioms and Phrases

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

"The warm water causes the biological processes inside that coral to go haywire. And just like humans get sick, corals get sick too."

From BBC

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

From Salon

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

From BBC

There's every reason to believe this trial could go haywire.

From Salon

So there's every reason to believe this trial could go haywire.

From Salon

Related Words

• depart 
• differ 
• diverge 
• vary 
• veer