free-for-all

A chaotic, uncontrolled situation. Janice tried to plan a fun, organized birthday party for her son, but as soon as the other kids arrived, the event turned into a free-for-all. The debate turned into a free-for-all when the candidates all started yelling at each other. Once the kids got some sugar into them, the birthday party devolved into a free-for-all.

See also:

hot water
Charlie Foxtrot
brighten up the/(one's) day
go down the rabbit hole
controlled chaos
down a/the rabbit hole
all hell breaks loose
all hell breaks/is let loose

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.