on the loose

phrase

: 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

While on the loose, Flaco was the only free-living owl of his species in the Western Hemisphere. — Lincoln Anderson, New York Daily News, 3 Nov. 2026

According to local news affiliate WABC, Maggie was on the loose for four days before finally being brought home, giving drivers all over Putnam County a reason to breathe easier. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Nina Sosanya voices the local veterinarian, who discovers strange objects inside her animal patients and suspects Bigfoot is on the loose, while Bitzer sets out to find his missing master. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Jason, of course, is on the loose and on the hunt for fresh blood. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Rhymes for on the loose

• disabuse
• introduce
• reproduce
• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse