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.

Examples of wheels come/fall off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
User Drop-Off Point Identification • While your website is supposed to seamlessly navigate a user to a conversion action, sometimes the wheels fall off mid-journey. Dave Foster, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024 One Day knows this and doubles down on the sentiment until the wheels fall off. Alicia Lansom, refinery29.com, 20 Feb. 2024 Couple that with the sky-high dealer markups some are charging for a new car today, is there any wonder people are driving their cars till the wheels fall off? 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning. Owen Bellwood / Jalopnik, Quartz, 2 May 2024 Or, the two-point loss in Indiana after scoring 80 first-half points and having the wheels fall off — again — in the fourth quarter. Shane Young, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 Ceiling is a Super Bowl victory, and the floor is 7 to 8 wins if the wheels fall off. Daniel Kohn, Spin, 6 Sep. 2023 Kim Kardashian is riding with sister Khloé Kardashian until the wheels fall off! Dayna Haffenden, Peoplemag, 7 June 2023 That big inning, where the floodgates open for Texas, the wheels come off for the opponent, and the Rangers plate two, three, four or more back-breaking runs. Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 13 May 2023 Every man should own one pair of selvedge denim, in a dark wash, purchased new and then worn until the wheels fall off. Christian Gollayan, Men's Health, 6 Mar. 2023

Dictionary Entries Near wheels come/fall off

Cite this Entry

“Wheels come/fall off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wheels%20come%2Ffall%20off. Accessed 15 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!