on the loose
idiom
: able to move freely : not controlled or held in a prison, cage, etc.
—used especially to describe a dangerous person, animal, or group
The prisoner escaped and is still on the loose.
A killer is on the loose.
An angry mob was on the loose.
Examples of on the loose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An alligator is on the loose after escaping from a middle school in Kansas City’s Northland.
—
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024
The suspect, Samuel Harris, ran and was on the loose a short time after the shooting, investigators said.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024
So far, three of the zebras have been recaptured, but one remains on the loose.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2024
Whispers of the return of Tumblr-era mid 2010s skinny jeans and rumors of early aughts low-rise have been on the loose for the past few seasons.
—Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Four gunshot victims lay dead in the garage, and the shooter was on the loose.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2024
The subject was Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, and his year on the loose in Manhattan.
—Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The suspect then fled the subway and remains on the loose.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024
The video depicts an idiot on the loose with a gun.
—Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2024
The suspect, Samuel Harris, ran and was on the loose a short time after the shooting, investigators said.
—Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024
So far, three of the zebras have been recaptured, but one remains on the loose.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2024
Whispers of the return of Tumblr-era mid 2010s skinny jeans and rumors of early aughts low-rise have been on the loose for the past few seasons.
—Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
Four gunshot victims lay dead in the garage, and the shooter was on the loose.
—Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2024
The subject was Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, and his year on the loose in Manhattan.
—Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024
The suspect then fled the subway and remains on the loose.
—Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024
The video depicts an idiot on the loose with a gun.
—Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the loose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on the loose
Cite this Entry
“On the loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20loose. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.
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