Synonyms

let loose

American

[let loos] / ˈlɛt ˈlus /

idiom

let loose,

letting loose

to set free; release;

They let the captured mouse loose in a field.
to allow to act freely (often followed byon ).

I have my medical students practice putting IVs in me before I let them loose on patients.
to act in a relaxed or uninhibited way.

It took some time to talk my dad into letting loose and playing a few games with the grandkids.
I can be serious when I need to be, but sometimes I just need to let loose and have fun.
to utter or issue forcefully and suddenly (sometimes followed bywith ).

I let loose a shriek and made a dive for the door.
He let loose with a flurry of angry posts on the website.
to give way; yield.

The guardrail let loose and we very nearly plunged over the edge.

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

Beijing first let loose a flood of official vitriol at Ms. Takaichi.

From The Wall Street Journal

We both know that Zara’s crazy is about to be let loose.

From Literature

The crowd cheered and danced, letting loose on a late Sunday night.

From Los Angeles Times

It was fun to just let loose, with a fat prosthetic belly, and have a good time and dance.

From Los Angeles Times

As a lover of dance music, the morning coffee rave was another way for people to connect and let loose, Collinge added.

From BBC

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