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

And I recently shared my own embarrassing secret — that I didn’t have a budget, and my spending was getting out of control.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Everything is out of control, and Charlie and Emma are left to head home on their own to figure out the next steps, if there are any next steps to be taken at all.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

The group worked up a policy to try to address a homelessness crisis that seemed to be spiraling out of control in Albuquerque, but also in cities all over the country.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

"I knew I wasn't safe. But I didn't think I was out of control."

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

Thanks to social media, it was a prank that spiraled out of control.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow