break loose

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]

Example Sentences

A piece of insulating foam on Columbia's fuel tank broke loose during launch, damaging the heat shield with devastating results.

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As spring approaches, the sun warms the slopes and large ice blocks -- sometimes a meter long -- break loose.

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On the third play from scrimmage, he broke loose on a run up the middle and picked up 41 yards.

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Bonzi won the first two sets and was up 5-4 and serving for match point in the third ... when all hell broke loose.

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It’s a magnification of childhood playtime, a puppet show in which the puppets have broken loose from the puppeteers.

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Related Words

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