WENT OFF THE DEEP END Synonyms: 12 Similar Words

went off the deep end

phrase

past tense of go off the deep end

as in cracked

to yield to mental or emotional stress After months of pressure at work, he went off the deep end.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for went off the deep end

Phrase

Shared by conservative social media influencers, the claim quickly fell apart at closer inspection.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026
The plan fell apart in 2024 amid state and federal lawsuits fearing consumer harm and anticompetitive practices.

— Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fell apart

Phrase

Trump’s endless war and its global economic destruction isn’t helping the North Carolina apple farmer who lost it all in Hurricane Helene.

— S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
One question that scientists have puzzled over for years is whether Venus always lacked a moon, or if the hottest planet in the solar system once had a natural satellite and somehow lost it.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of lost it

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.

Browse Nearby Words

went off

went off the deep end

went on

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Went off the deep end.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/went%20off%20the%20deep%20end. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of went off the deep end

phrase

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bon vivant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes