Word Family Worksheets

Blow one’s top 

Meaning: Lose one’s temper 

● Example: I think he’ll blow his top when you give him the news.

2. Blow up 

Meaning: Explode 

● Example: When I saw the look on Sarah’s face, I just know she’d blow up.

3. Fly off the handle 

Meaning: Lose one’s temper suddenly and unexpectedly 

● Example: I know you’re upset, but there’s no point flying off the handle like that.

4. Freak out 

Meaning: A wildly irrational reaction or spell of behaviour 

● Example: Mom will freak out when she found out we broke her vase!

5. Go ape 

Meaning: Express wild excitement or anger 

● Example: July will go ape if she ever hears about it.

6. Go ballistic 

Meaning: Fly into a rage 

● Example: My parents went totally ballistic when they found out I’d wrecked the car!

7. Go bananas 

Meaning: To become irrational or crazy 

● Example: I’ll end up going bananas if I have to work in this cubicle for one more day!

8. Go berserk 

Meaning: To go crazy 

● Example: She went berserk and strangled her cat.

9. Go bonkers 

Meaning: To be or become wild, restless, irrational, or crazy; to act in such a way 

● Example: The drivers in this country seem to go completely bonkers if there’s even a little bit of snow on the ground.

10. Go mental 

Meaning: To suddenly become extremely angry 

● Example: My parents are going to go mental if they find out we had a party here!

11. Go nuts 

Meaning: To become crazy 

● Example: The noise caused all the neighbours to go nuts.

12. Go off the deep end 

Meaning: To unexpectedly become very angry, especially without a good reason 

● Example: I only put a tiny scratch on your car, so there’s no need to go off the deep end.

13. Hit the roof 

Meaning: To become very angry 

● Example: My parents are going to hit the roof if they find out we had a party here!

14. Lose it 

Meaning: To suddenly become unable to behave or think in a sensible way 

● Example: Mom is going to lose it when she gets home and finds out that we broke her vase.

15. Pop one’s cork 

Meaning: To release one’s anger; to blow one’s top 

● Example: She tried to hold it back, but suddenly she popped her cork.