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Synonyms

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]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But all hell did break loose in other ways.

From Salon • Jun. 14, 2026

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

Mira Costa was unable to break loose Victor Loiola, with Kelly paying close attention to him.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2024

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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