come undone

present singular third person comes undone · participle present coming undone · past came undone

1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see come, undone; to become undone or unfastened.

   My shoelace came undone.

   3 more examples

   Your bandage is coming undone.

   It was a very good year for city girls / Who lived up the stair / With all that perfumed hair / And it came undone / When I was twenty-one

   1965, Ervin Drake, “It Was a Very Good Year”, performed by Frank Sinatra

   You used to be alright / What happened? / Did the cat get your tongue? / Did your string come undone?

   2007, “15 Step”, in In Rainbows, performed by Radiohead

2. colloquialTo become disintegrated, to break into parts or pieces.

   I never seen you looking so bad, my funky one / You tell me that your super fine mind has come undone

   1974, Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, “Any Major Dude Will Tell You”, performed by Steely Dan

   Synonyms: come apart, fall apart

3. figurativelyTo come to ruin, to fail; to lose one's composure or self-control.

   He came undone when his wife refused to support him.

   1 more example

   "Ah, you Moldovans, how undone you came, you spit on holy things".

   2019, 01:01:09.00 from the start, in Eugen Damaschin, director, Moldova 89-91, spoken by himself (Iurie Roșca), Moldova: MILK Films

   Synonyms: come apart