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.
Meanwhile, seven menacing figures in shaggy bleached-blond wigs are on the loose, looking like the world’s most dangerous bubblegum pop band.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov dropped an early free-kick from Rangers captain James Tavernier, but managed to block the shot from Barron, who was waiting to pounce on the loose ball.
From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026
They led for eight minutes before failing to clear a corner and allowing Ewa Pajor to pounce on the loose ball, cancelling out Ellie Carpenter's delicious opener.
From BBC • Nov. 20, 2025
An alligator on the loose in Boston became a social-media star.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 14, 2025
Is the man on the loose, riding in the caboose?”
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
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.
