out of control

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.

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

Related Words for out of control

disorderly, rebellious, uncontrollable, ungovernable, unmanageable, unruly, wild

Examples from the Web for out of control

Contemporary Examples of out of control

A rising death toll, mass panic, scary mortality rate—what could possibly be good about the out-of-control epidemic?
The Upside of Ebola (Yes, There May Actually Be One)
Nick Gillespie
October 13, 2014
Kilmer plays shy Teddy, and Nat Wolff his out-of-control friend, Fred.
The Next Great Coppola
Caryn James
May 7, 2014
It was neither the first nor the last time Bieber would be characterized as a petulant, out-of-control little jerk.
Why Do You Hate Justin Bieber?
Rawiya Kameir
December 26, 2013
These people really have created an out-of-control Frankenstein in this base.
Frankenstein
Michael Tomasky
July 31, 2013
The day after Thanksgiving brings huge sales, long lines—and some out-of-control crowds.
Black Friday Chaos: Photos, Tweets, Video & More From the Stores
November 23, 2012