off the rails

Idioms

In an abnormal or malfunctioning condition, as in Her political campaign has been off the rails for months. The phrase occurs commonly with go, as in Once the superintendent resigned, the effort to reform the school system went off the rails. This idiom alludes to the rails on which trains run; if a train goes off the rails, it stops or crashes. [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“This is clearly an example of an interpersonal dynamic that has gone off the rails,” says Tessa West, a psychology professor at New York University and author of the book “Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them.”

From MarketWatch

But now on her independently produced show, she has truly gone off the rails.

From Slate

Her performance in “Vladimir” completely eschewed vanity and instead fixates on what makes this woman go off the rails.

From Los Angeles Times

No political system is perfect, and Congress can run off the rails.

From The Wall Street Journal

The redemption arcs for Eze and Gyokeres couldn't have come at a better moment after Arsenal's title push had gone off the rails.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023