all hell breaks loose

idiom

informal
used to describe what happens when violent, destructive, and confused activity suddenly begins
I heard people shouting at each other, and suddenly all hell broke loose.

Examples of all hell breaks loose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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As soon as Mark completes the file, all hell breaks loose. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025 At the start of the movie, George invites his agency suspects to dinner, and all hell breaks loose. Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Mar. 2025 From here all hell breaks loose as a klaxon suddenly blares, red emergency lights flash, and all manner of drama kicks off. Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 Mar. 2025 How Hormones Disrupt Sleep Once hormones hit women, all hell breaks loose for women’s sleep. Judy Stone, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 Also, Mon Mothma seems to throw a lavish party at some point (before all hell breaks loose). Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2025 And will Juliette head back over the hill before all hell breaks loose in Silo 18? Jeff Spry, Space.com, 13 Jan. 2025 The ladies have their ‘Cowboy Carter’ inspired photo shoot at the dude ranch, and all hell breaks loose at dinner. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 23 Dec. 2024 When Douglas is accused on social media of making a sexist joke at a wedding, all hell breaks loose. Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 12 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“All hell breaks loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/all%20hell%20breaks%20loose. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.

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