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Decision & Control - Losing Control

Master English idioms that relate to losing control, like "out of hand" and "go to town".

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English idioms related to Decision & Control
out of hand
out of hand
[phrase]

impossible or very hard to control

Ex: The crowd got out of hand during the concert and the police had to intervene. 
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to [have] half a mind to

to say that one will do something even though they might not really intending to

Ex: I have half a mind to call him and tell him exactly what I think. 
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weak in the knees

feeling strong emotions, like fear or anxiety, in a way that makes it difficult for one to stand

Ex: When she stepped onto the stage, she felt weak in the knees. 
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to [go] to town

to engage in an activity or pursuit with great enthusiasm, energy, or extravagance, often to an excessive or intense degree

Ex: They really went to town decorating the house for the party. 
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to [keep] {one's} eyes off {sb/sth}

to refrain from or stop looking at a person or thing

Ex: He tried to keep his eyes off the accident, but it was hard not to look. 
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to [throw] {one's} (toys|rattle) out of the cot

to lose one's temper and behave irrationally

Ex: When the deal fell through, he threw his toys out of the cot and blamed everyone else. 
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to [put] {one's} life in {one's} hands

to entrust someone with one's life

Ex: During the surgery, I had no choice but to put my life in the surgeon's hands. 
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to [come] out (swinging|fighting)

to respond or react to something in a forceful manner

Ex: After the harsh criticism, she came out swinging in the press conference. 
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to [get|be] carried away

to be unable to control one's behavior due to a strong emotion such as anger, excitement, etc.

Ex: I got carried away and bought far more than I needed. 
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to [take] on a life of its own

to develop in an unexpected way beyond the original plan or control

Ex: The small joke took on a life of its own online. 
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to [lose] {one's} grip

to become less powerful, effective, or controlling

Ex: Fear slowly lost its grip on him. 
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to [push] {sb} over the edge

to make someone lose control or reach a breaking point

Ex: The final complaint pushed him over the edge. 
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off the rails

used to say that someone is behaving in a way that is wild, irrational, or unconventional

Ex: After the breakup, he went off the rails and started partying every night. 
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to [hit|press|push] the panic button

to panic or respond with extreme fear or urgency in a situation, often without thinking logically or rationally

Ex: Don't hit the panic button; we still have time to fix this. 
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