wheels come/fall off

idiom

informal

—used to say that someone or something fails in a sudden or unexpected way

The pitcher was doing well for the first four innings, then the wheels fell off in the fifth.

Examples of wheels come/fall off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Or, the two-point loss in Indiana after scoring 80 first-half points and having the wheels fall off — again — in the fourth quarter. —Shane Young, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024

Ceiling is a Super Bowl victory, and the floor is 7 to 8 wins if the wheels fall off. —Daniel Kohn, Spin, 6 Sep. 2023

Kim Kardashian is riding with sister Khloé Kardashian until the wheels fall off! —Dayna Haffenden, Peoplemag, 7 June 2023

That big inning, where the floodgates open for Texas, the wheels come off for the opponent, and the Rangers plate two, three, four or more back-breaking runs. —Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 13 May 2023

Every man should own one pair of selvedge denim, in a dark wash, purchased new and then worn until the wheels fall off. —Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 6 Mar. 2023

Then comes the 90-day race involving a deep examination of the business, and that’s where the wheels fall off. —Anthony Bahr, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2022

And even if the wheels come off, their floor would still be division champions. —Daniel Kohn, SPIN, 7 Sep. 2022

Just how did the wheels come off the Sri Lankan rupee and its economy? —Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 14 July 2022