Credit card debt spiraled out of control.

Meaning: The amount of money owed on the credit card increased very quickly.

Choice of Words: Credit refers to the ability to borrow money or goods and pay for them later. Card is a small plastic card issued by a bank or financial institution allowing the holder to make purchases on credit. Debt is money owed. Spiraled means increased rapidly and out of control. This sentence highlights the rapid accumulation of credit card debt.

Alternative Expressions

The credit card debt was like a runaway train.

Meaning: This means that the credit card debt was increasing rapidly and uncontrollably, like a runaway train that cannot be stopped.

Choice of Words: Runaway train refers to a train that is out of control and moving at a high speed. Was like compares the credit card debt to a runaway train, suggesting that it was increasing rapidly and out of control.

The credit card debt was like a snowball rolling down a hill.

Meaning: This means that the credit card debt started small and grew larger and larger over time, becoming more and more difficult to manage.

Choice of Words: Snowball rolling down a hill refers to a snowball that starts small and gets bigger and bigger as it rolls down a hill. Was like compares the credit card debt to a snowball, suggesting that it started small and grew larger and larger as time went on.

Related Expressions