break loose

idiom

: to suddenly become loose : to suddenly stop being attached to something

One of the shutters broke loose during the storm.

: 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 Watch:Pittsburgh barges break loose in Ohio River, damage marina The National Weather Service in Boulder issued a red flag warning for Colorado's plains and the Palmer Divide on Monday. —

Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024 As the shot clock trickled down on Denver’s opening possession, Murray tried to dance around Edwards but couldn’t break loose. —

Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 4 May 2024 In the clip, gator tried to break loose multiple times. —

Christopher Brito, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2024 The 26 barges are far from the first the first to break loose on the Ohio River. —

USA TODAY, 16 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for break loose

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'break loose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.