break loose

Idioms  

1. Escape from restraint, as in The boat broke loose from its moorings, or He finally broke loose from the school of abstract expressionism. This expression also appears in all hell breaks loose, which indicates a state of fury or chaos, as in When Dad finds out you broke his watch, all hell will break loose, or When the children saw the dead pigeon in the hall, all hell broke loose. [Early 1400s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

break loose

Andreas Skov Olsen floated in a cross and all hell was about to break loose.

From BBC ● Mar. 1, 2026

Blood clots form in the veins and can break loose and travel with the circulation to the lungs, leading to pulmonary embolism.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 27, 2024

When the foundations of a civilization crack, all hell can break loose.

From Salon ● May 21, 2023

Curry had 27 points on six-for-13 shooting from the field, but he didn’t break loose in a big way.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2023

We used to call that “Mommy’s madwalk,” and if she was doing it in your direction, all hell was gonna break loose.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

Related Words

• casual
• impromptu
• instinctive
• offhand
• simple
• unplanned
• voluntary