let loose

American  

[let loos] / ˈlɛt ˈlus /

idiom

past and past participle

let loose,

present participle

letting loose

1. to set free; release;

   They let the captured mouse loose in a field.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. to give way; yield.

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

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Example Sentences

“I really want to hit the party scene in St Barts or elsewhere and let loose,” Musk wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal

When it was ready, they’d pick a time to let loose with it, creating a stench so great it would scare the stripes off a skunk.

From Literature

His father lit the bonfire with great ceremony, announcing they were celebrating a night when magic was let loose upon the world.

From Literature

Jazz legend Louis Armstrong reshaped music in the 20th century, developing the instrumental solo as we know it and inspiring generations to let loose and get personal with their singing.

From The Wall Street Journal

There are still only a small number of venues in the UK where people are handed a baseball bat and let loose.

From BBC

Related Words

• acquit
• clear
• discharge
• dismiss
• extricate
• pardon
• parole
• release
• relieve
• rescue
• save