out of control

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.

Example Sentences

The Europeans saw a conflict escalating out of control with the extremes on both sides empowered, and they believed they could appeal to remaining moderates for a two-state solution – their desired long-term shared future for Israelis and Palestinians.

From BBC

“Because if there is no big penalty, other teams are going to start doing that, and then competitive advantage is just going to be, the imbalance is going to be out of control.”

From Los Angeles Times

ICE is shown as a department so out of control that it detains Dora the Explorer and so incompetent that they hire the show’s skeletal counselor Mr. Mackey, who quickly gets promoted after helping to raid heaven.

From Los Angeles Times

It followed an incident on Wednesday in which Ross alleged Hepburn swore aggressively and grabbed him as he was leaving the chamber following an exchange about "out of control" seagulls.

From BBC

He started sliding out of control, collided with a boulder and lost consciousness, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times