out of control

Idioms  

1. Also, out of hand. No longer under management, direction, or regulation; unmanageable or unruly. For example, Housing costs are out of control, or The children were getting out of hand again. The first term uses control in the sense of “restraint,” a usage dating from the late 1500s; the variant uses hand in the sense of “power” or “authority,” and dates from the late 1800s.

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Example Sentences

Lillian Price thinks that tipping in the US is "out of control".

From BBC • May 27, 2026

The blaze, later determined to be a rekindling of a week-old fire, swiftly spread out of control, destroying more than 6,800 structures in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and nearby areas.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Growth valuations aren’t even that out of control, so strong earnings could certainly push the stocks higher.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

Because if we’re not schooling people, it’s going to become more rampant than it already is, and it is out of control.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

“I’ll go,” I say, seemingly out of control of my own mouth.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King