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
The shooter, as of my writing this, is still on the loose.
—
Karan Mahajan, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
And this is precisely the danger Kingstown is facing with Merle on the loose and his minions ready to mobilize.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
The new film returns bunny cop Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and street fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), unlikely friends and partners who saved the city of Zootopia and have to do it again, with a snake on the loose.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, local police have yet to track down a suspect and have indicated in news releases that multiple suspects involved in the shooting remain on the loose.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the loose
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Karan Mahajan, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025
And this is precisely the danger Kingstown is facing with Merle on the loose and his minions ready to mobilize.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
The new film returns bunny cop Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and street fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), unlikely friends and partners who saved the city of Zootopia and have to do it again, with a snake on the loose.
—Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 8 Dec. 2025
Meanwhile, local police have yet to track down a suspect and have indicated in news releases that multiple suspects involved in the shooting remain on the loose.
—Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 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 16 Dec. 2025.
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