haywire

Everyday

1. (informal) Out of control, not working properly, behaving wildly: the computer went haywire. tree →
2. (informal) Of a person or plan: crazy or messed up. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life machines, phones, traffic lights and computers «go haywire» when they start doing strange things. In stories it builds funny or scary chaos. The word comes from wire used to tie hay bales, which got tangled easily. Phrases: go haywire, everything went haywire.

Examples

• The traffic lights went haywire and everyone stopped. tree →
• My tablet went haywire after the update. tree →
• When the fire alarm went off, the whole school day went haywire. tree →
• The robot in the story went haywire and danced around the lab. tree →
• Our holiday plans went haywire when the flight was cancelled. tree →
• The compass went haywire near the magnet. tree →

Note

Informal; mostly in the phrase «go haywire». One word. It is not used before a noun («a haywire robot» is rare).