at loose ends
idiom
US
: not knowing what to do : not having anything in particular to do
With everyone on vacation she was at loose ends.
Drop by if you find yourself at loose ends this weekend.
Examples of at loose ends in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Astronauts in orbit would be totally at loose ends.
—
Rhett Allain, Wired News, 16 Jan. 2026
Back at loose ends, Cannon accepted an invitation from her twin sister to work as an assistant coach for Midwestern State.
—Brian Robin, Oc Register, 1 Oct. 2025
Somebody Somewhere, too, is unlike much of the TV-comedy landscape: The series, which concluded last December, follows a woman in her 40s, Sam (Bridget Everett), at loose ends in her Kansas hometown after her sister’s death.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent college grad Elena Alvarez, at loose ends and with significant troubles, comes for the summer to assist her beloved grandmother.
—The Know, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for at loose ends
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Rhett Allain, Wired News, 16 Jan. 2026
Back at loose ends, Cannon accepted an invitation from her twin sister to work as an assistant coach for Midwestern State.
—Brian Robin, Oc Register, 1 Oct. 2025
Somebody Somewhere, too, is unlike much of the TV-comedy landscape: The series, which concluded last December, follows a woman in her 40s, Sam (Bridget Everett), at loose ends in her Kansas hometown after her sister’s death.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent college grad Elena Alvarez, at loose ends and with significant troubles, comes for the summer to assist her beloved grandmother.
—The Know, Denver Post, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for at loose ends
Cite this Entry
“At loose ends.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/at%20loose%20ends. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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