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
Her death marks the first of a series that haunts Hawkins, leading police (without David Harbour’s Chief Jim Hopper) to deduce that a serial killer is on the loose and that Eddie Munson might be that killer.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
As Rodgers fell on the loose football, Mack jumped on the QB for a safety.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Another five were killed in the hunt for them and three remained on the loose before Sunday.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Three monkeys remained on the loose in rural Mississippi on Wednesday after a truck carrying research animals overturned, leaving authorities scrambling to track them down and raising questions about who owned the animals and where they were headed.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the loose
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Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
As Rodgers fell on the loose football, Mack jumped on the QB for a safety.
—Mike Defabo, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2025
Another five were killed in the hunt for them and three remained on the loose before Sunday.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Three monkeys remained on the loose in rural Mississippi on Wednesday after a truck carrying research animals overturned, leaving authorities scrambling to track them down and raising questions about who owned the animals and where they were headed.
—Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 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 28 Nov. 2025.
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