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
Saudi heritage and national pride figured across many collections, with geometric rooflines a graphic detail on the loose men’s alterna-suiting from Noble & Fresh, and odes to various regions spelled out in spirals of Arabic characters on Hindamme’s second-skin dresses.
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Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, the film finds Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her friends, including Brenda (Regina Hall) and Buffy (Shannon Elizabeth), stuck in town with a killer on the loose.
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
The peace and quiet of Keene, New Hampshire, was surprisingly disrupted by the unusual sight of a moose on the loose.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Trocheck failed to tie him up, allowing Malkin to pounce on the loose puck and get off a quick feed to Justin Brazeau, who was all alone in front of the Rangers’ net after Alexis Lafrenière got caught puck-watching rather than staying with the nearest man.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the loose
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Miles Socha, Footwear News, 23 Oct. 2025
Directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, the film finds Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her friends, including Brenda (Regina Hall) and Buffy (Shannon Elizabeth), stuck in town with a killer on the loose.
—Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Oct. 2025
The peace and quiet of Keene, New Hampshire, was surprisingly disrupted by the unusual sight of a moose on the loose.
—Ronnie Li, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
Trocheck failed to tie him up, allowing Malkin to pounce on the loose puck and get off a quick feed to Justin Brazeau, who was all alone in front of the Rangers’ net after Alexis Lafrenière got caught puck-watching rather than staying with the nearest man.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 31 Oct. 2025.
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