# run amok

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/run-amok
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To go on a rampage; to be in an uncontrollable rage.

## Examples

- The children ran amok in the garden.
- When the teacher left the room, the students started to run amok and threw paper everywhere.
- Without any clear leadership to guide the project, the team members began to run amok, pursuing their own conflicting agendas until the entire operation collapsed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.