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

Yet on a scorching Monday afternoon, Ludlow sat alone at a streetside coffee shop in Eagle Rock, trying to account for how the biggest jazz event in Los Angeles history fell apart.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Fresh off signing a $73 million contract extension with the Astros, Oswalt was facing the New York Mets, a team that tried to trade for him a few weeks prior before talks on a three-way deal that also included the Baltimore Orioles fell apart.

— Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of fell apart

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 22 Aug. 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

august

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes