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.

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Cite this Entry

“Wheels come/fall off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheels%20come%2Ffall%20off. Accessed 5 Sep. 2025.

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