let loose

phrase

1

: to allow (someone or something) to move or go freely

He let the dogs loose in the courtyard.

cattle let loose to graze on the green fields

—often used figuratively

a director who's willing to let her actors loose to interpret their roles however they see fit

how to stop the violence that has been let loose on the city

2

: to produce (something, such as a cry) in a sudden and forceful way

The crowd let loose an enormous groan when the pass was intercepted.

She let loose (with) a scream.

Examples of let loose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

We were let loose to find our limits on a fast, flowing section of trail that let slower riders fall out while faster ones could pass on the high side of berms. — Caleb Jacobs, The Drive, 2 Nov. 2026

The SkyFall mission will consist of three identical helicopters to be deployed by an entry vehicle in the atmosphere, let loose at roughly under a mile (3,300 feet or 1,000 meters) above Mars, with each of the craft landing independently. — Leonard David, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2026

The drones were of the handheld quadcopter variety, let loose directly over the camp, at times during prayer song ceremonies. — Ryan Devereaux, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2026

Every week this summer, a small army of 1,500 mosquitoes were let loose in Vinaya Frank’s backyard. — Erin Douglas, Washington Post, 28 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for let loose

• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse
• disuse
• excuse
• footloose