lose the plot

idiomatic phrase

British, informal
: to become confused by or unable to deal with a situation
She was so nervous she thought she was going to lose the plot.

Examples of lose the plot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Review: ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 finds its horrors but loses the plot When does the next episode of the 'The Last of Us' Season 2 come out? Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025 Here’s where the episode starts to lose the plot a little for me. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2025 In short: Voters, customers, investors and the MAGA elite say the Elon Musk show has lost the plot. Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 3 Apr. 2025 There is a growing bipartisan consensus that American innovation has lost the plot. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025 Kira Scott has sort of lost the plot of her crusade. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 5 Mar. 2024 The full context of the Roundtable lost the plot a little bit. Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 3 Feb. 2025 But the slideshow ends on the $100 GTA 6 pricing note, which sort of loses the plot. Paul Tassi, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 Facebook used to feel like a premium service, but the last few years it’s felt like it’s lost the plot. Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lose the plot was in 1984

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Cite this Entry

“Lose the plot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lose%20the%20plot. Accessed 11 May. 2025.

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