Lose it

GETANGRY

Think of what might happen when your patience wears thin or someone pushes your buttons too far. It’s a common phrase for reaching your boiling point.

"Lose it" is a phrase that can mean both literally misplacing something and, informally, losing your temper. The clue plays on that second meaning—when someone says "Don’t lose it!" they often mean "Don’t get angry." So the answer is "GETANGRY," capturing the idiomatic sense of the phrase rather than the literal one. It’s a classic example of how crossword clues use everyday expressions in clever ways.