all hell broke loose

all hell breaks loose

slang Said of a chaotic or disruptive situation, especially one that begins suddenly or unexpectedly. I'm just walking down the street when all hell breaks loose, and drivers start beeping and screaming at each other for no apparent reason. One guy pushed another at the bar and then all hell broke loose—that's why we left! The last time the team got eliminated from the playoffs at home, all hell broke loose, so I don't really want to go to the game with you.
See also: all, break, hell, loose
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

all hell broke loose

all sorts of wild or terrible things happened. When the boss left early for the weekend, all hell broke loose.
See also: all, broke, hell, loose
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

all hell broke (or was let) loose

suddenly there was chaos or uproar. informal
See also: all, broke, hell, loose
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
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