have kittens

phrase

British, informal
: to become very nervous or upset about something
They had kittens when they saw the mess we made.

Examples of have kittens 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.
Plenty of pet shops have kittens up for adoption over the holidays. — Elisa Cinelli, Parents, 22 Dec. 2025 And more books should have kittens and/or snails on them. — Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025 In the course of the book, the cats have kittens, naturally. — Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Have kittens.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have%20kittens. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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