off the rails
English
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off the rails
Where it comes from
Suggesting the derailment of a locomotive.
phrase
- In an abnormal manner, especially in a manner that causes damage or malfunctioning.
- Insane.
- Off the intended path. ... but the plan came off the rails when infuriated Communists called it "ideological provocation" and warned against "kindling political confrontation
- Out of control. I reckon it's pretty astonishing that none of us did go off the rails. There really was no telling how any of us would deal with the pressures and the fame.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see off, rail. The train did not come off the rails and nobody was injured.
Translations
Every language
prep_phrase in an abnormal manner
| Italiano | fuori dai gangheri |
|---|---|
| Русский | сойти с рельсов sojti s relʹsov |
prep_phrase (idiomatic) Off the intended path.
| Español | descarrilar, descarriar, de los rieles, del rail |
|---|
Talk about this word "off the rails." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/off%20the%20rails. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. off the rails. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/off%20the%20rails "off the rails." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/off%20the%20rails.Cite this
@misc{off_the_rails_2026,
title = {off the rails},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/off%20the%20rails},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
