lose the plot

phrase

British, informal

: to become confused by or unable to deal with a situation

She was so nervous she thought she was going to lose the plot.

Examples of lose the plot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

From Todd McLellan in 2015 to Knoblauch the last three seasons, the Oilers players have been inconsistent; the players are effective for stretches, then lose the plot in coverage defensively. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 20 July 2026

The larger context is that the President seems to be losing the plot. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

The Fable model can hold more context, reason longer and push through a refactor without losing the plot that often causes problems for so many other models. — Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Under the current vision, critics say, FedRAMP has lost the plot. — Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above