coming undone
Losing structural integrity
Coming undone describes something—or someone—falling apart.
Thread comes undone when stitches unravel; a knot comes undone when it loosens.
More often the phrase is figurative: a person coming undone is losing composure or control, overwhelmed by stress, grief, or desire.
She watched him come undone under cross-examination.
A plan or scheme comes undone when it collapses.
- unravelingProcess of coming undone
- falling apartGradually breaking into pieces
- falling to piecesLosing structural integrity
- dissolvingPassing into solution
- frayingComing apart threadwise
loosening · breaking down · collapsing · crumbling · untying · unfastening · splitting · disintegrating · tearing · hanging by a thread · snapping · unstitching · stress fracture · losing grip · losing control · losing it · spiral · chaos
- deterioratingdecaying, decomposing, degrading, rotting, eroding
- coming apartunravel, fraying, falling apart, disintegration, unweaving
- dissolutionbreakup, breakdown, liquidation, wind down, disintegration
- meltdownsnuclear meltdown, reactor meltdown, meltdown, freak out, losing it
- breaking downsplitting, fragmenting, dividing, breaking up, partitioning
- overwhelmedstressed, overwhelmed, stressed out, burnt out, burned out
coming undoneholding together
Remaining unified, not separating
holding firm · staying put · tightening · coming together · getting fixed
coming undoneholding it together
Maintaining composure despite strain
keeping it together · keeping cool · keeping one's cool · staying strong · getting a grip
coming undonecoming together
Act of assembling
falling into place · taking shape · working out · holding together · succeeding
come, comes, coming, comer, comers, income, incoming, outcome, oncoming