break loose

idiom

1
: to suddenly become loose : to suddenly stop being attached to something
One of the shutters broke loose during the storm.
2
: to get away from someone or something by using force or effort
The prisoner broke loose and ran away.
often + from
The prisoner broke loose from the guards.
She wants to break loose from the constraints of her middle-class life.

Examples of break loose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Even short periods of convalescence, from one to three days, increase the likelihood of a condition called deep venous thrombosis, which can cause clots to break loose in the extremities and travel through the bloodstream, passing through the heart and lodging in the lungs. Paul Sisson, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2025 Even short periods of convalescence, from one to three days, increase the likelihood of a condition called deep venous thrombosis, which can cause clots to break loose in the extremities and travel through the bloodstream, passing through the heart and lodging in the lungs. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2025 Once several aliens break loose, the ship sets an emergency course back to Earth. Rendy Jones, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2025 That blood clot could break loose and travel to your lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism, which can be fatal. Angela Haupt, Time, 4 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for break loose

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Cite this Entry

“Break loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20loose. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

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