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Fly off the handle

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Emotional Intensity

The phrase suggests a sudden shift to extreme anger, typically in an uncontrolled manner.

Illustration for Emotional Intensity
The calm discussion took a turn when Mike flew off the handle.
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Surprise Element

The anger is often unexpected and may seem disproportionate to the situation.

Illustration for Surprise Element
She flew off the handle when she saw the typo, which surprised everyone.
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Negative Connotation

Using this phrase usually implies a criticism of the person's reaction as being unreasonable.

Illustration for Negative Connotation
His tendency to fly off the handle made his colleagues wary of giving feedback.
Visual representation of the word "Fly off the handle"

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