get into the wrong hands
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Fall into possession of someone who may misuse it
Literally: be held by incorrect people
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The confidential documents could get into the wrong hands if not stored securely
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “get into the wrong hands” mean?
Fall into possession of someone who may misuse it Literally: be held by incorrect people
Is “get into the wrong hands” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.