on the loose
Idioms-
At large, free, as in That dog of theirs is on the loose all the time . [Second half of 1800s]
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Acting without restraint, as in After the game the players were in town, on the loose . [Mid-1700s]
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.
A third suspect is still on the loose.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
While zookeepers immediately found and recaptured Tango, Samba is still on the loose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
But with what seems like a Ripper copycat on the loose, everyone needs to put aside their preconceived notions and figure out what’s going on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
Tiny dog on the loose holds up San Francisco trains.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 3, 2026
“I’d guess he’s been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again....”
From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling
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.
