Go off the rails

Meaning: To act in an uncontrolled, chaotic, or unmanageable manner; to lose control over one’s behavior or actions.

Usage in Example Sentences:

  1. “After his business failed, he started drinking heavily and went off the rails.”
  2. “The project was going well until the last few weeks, when everything seemed to go off the rails.”
  3. “Her behavior in class has gone off the rails recently.”

Origin: This idiom is rooted in the railway industry. When a train “goes off the rails,” it literally leaves the tracks, which causes a loss of direction and control. Over time, the phrase evolved to describe people or situations that lose structure or stability, becoming chaotic or erratic.

Go off the rails

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