fly off the handle

idiom

informal
: to lose control of one's emotions : to become very angry
He tends to fly off the handle when people disagree with him.

Examples of fly off the handle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Honestly, Greer’s right to be worried about her husband flying off the handle or getting caught up in his emotions. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2024 The Giants of course need to stay disciplined, especially because Daboll is known to fly off the handle on game days to his own detriment. Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2024 Your week is all about the attempt to maintain a semblance of normalcy while everyone else is flying off the handle. Jennifer Culp, Them, 2 Aug. 2024 Harvey, 21, allegedly flew off the handle, throwing two televisions to the floor, shattering them. Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 14 May 2024 In Season 2, Tommy’s family, including his older brother JP (Anthony Flemming III) and his nephew D-Mac (Lucien Cambric), keep him from flying off the handle completely. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023 The donors would get someone less liable to fly off the handle and, for that matter, less likely to pursue personal pet policies (trade wars) and vendettas. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2023 In fact, some games, and even particular game systems and franchises, are more likely than others to make people fly off the handle. Eric Griffith, PCMAG, 22 Aug. 2022 This digital monster that has taught the culture how to overreact and fly off the handle needs to be tamed. Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2021

Dictionary Entries Near fly off the handle

Cite this Entry

“Fly off the handle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fly%20off%20the%20handle. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on fly off the handle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!