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 combination of a serial murderer on the loose and the satanic will likely be enough to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
—
Lisa Respers France, CNN, 9 July 2024
There are lots of violent monsters on the loose
While the previous two films may have left more to the imagination, the creatures are shown onscreen much more frequently and up close in Day One (partially thanks to a bigger budget).
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
Over the weekend, the NYPD released surveillance footage of multiple suspects still on the loose and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2024
The column added that hundreds of these weapons were still on the loose, including in Niger, where some had been obtained by Boko Haram, the radical Islamist group across the border in northern Nigeria.
—Alan J. Kuperman, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for on the loose 
Lisa Respers France, CNN, 9 July 2024
There are lots of violent monsters on the loose
While the previous two films may have left more to the imagination, the creatures are shown onscreen much more frequently and up close in Day One (partially thanks to a bigger budget).
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 28 June 2024
Over the weekend, the NYPD released surveillance footage of multiple suspects still on the loose and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 25 Feb. 2024
The column added that hundreds of these weapons were still on the loose, including in Niger, where some had been obtained by Boko Haram, the radical Islamist group across the border in northern Nigeria.
—Alan J. Kuperman, Foreign Affairs, 18 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for on the loose
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the loose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 26 Jul. 2024.
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