on the loose

1. At large, free, as in That dog of theirs is on the loose all the time . [Second half of 1800s]

2. Acting without restraint, as in After the game the players were in town, on the loose . [Mid-1700s]

Example Sentences

There were whispers about a defective robot on the loose.

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Police advised schools to be placed in lockdown after reports of a suspected gunman on the loose - only to find it was a boy in fancy dress with a toy gun.

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Much of the right seized upon a report published by the Wall Street Journal on Thursday while the alleged gunman was still on the loose.

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A man was found fatally shot inside his car on Thursday morning near an elementary school in Whittier, and hours later, the shooter remained on the loose, authorities said.

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With a killer still on the loose, many fled the leafy town of 25,000 residents, which had not seen a murder for five years.

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Related Words

• able 
• at large 
• clear 
• easy 
• independent 
• loose 
• open 
• unfettered 
• unrestricted