Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Get out of hand
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Get out of hand" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourEveryday Casual & Workplace collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Get out of hand
To become wild, chaotic, or difficult to control.
History & Origin
This idiom comes from horse-riding and driving horse-drawn carriages in the 1800s. If a rider or driver lost control of the reins, the horses were literally 'out of hand,' allowing them to run wild. Over time, the phrase shifted from physical leather reins to describing any situation that has escaped someone's control.
Examples
We need to schedule a meeting today because the project costs are starting to get out of hand.
The party was fun at first, but things got out of hand when people started jumping off the roof into the pool.
Sociologists note that protests can easily get out of hand if law enforcement handles the crowd with excessive force.
What started as a minor online argument quickly got out of hand, resulting in a nationwide boycott of the company.
Without proper regulation, the inflation rate will get out of hand and threaten our economic stability.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. I tried to catch the falling plate, but it got out of hand and smashed onto the kitchen floor.
B. The small campfire quickly got out of hand due to the strong winds, forcing the campers to call the fire department.
C. Could you please get out of hand and help me carry these heavy grocery bags into the house?
D. After practicing for months, my piano playing has finally gotten out of hand.