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

Usually, stepping in front of a horse on the loose and waving your hands wildly will slow the animal down. —Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2024

An alligator that went missing in Kansas City’s Northland was found alive Monday morning after 10 days on the loose. —Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2024

One half takes place in the modern day after the events of the other movies, with a copycat killer on the loose torturing his victims in traps resembling Jigsaw’s. —Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024

Statewide sightings had been reported before, though some turned out to be monkeys on the loose. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 20 May 2024

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