off the rails

Idioms  

1. In an abnormal or malfunctioning condition, as in Her political campaign has been off the rails for months. The phrase occurs commonly with go, as in Once the superintendent resigned, the effort to reform the school system went off the rails. This idiom alludes to the rails on which trains run; if a train goes off the rails, it stops or crashes. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

As AI models get more powerful, there’s growing risk they will go off the rails or get misused by bad actors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

In mitigation, David Mason KC said the "hardened criminal" had "completely gone off the rails and got himself in a terrible, terrible situation".

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

“Things haven’t gone off the rails yet. The market is bending, but it isn’t breaking,” Mike Thompson said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

But now on her independently produced show, she has truly gone off the rails.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2026

Her own curiosity is the one thing that has kept her from going off the rails.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline