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 culprit fled and appears to have remained on the loose over the weekend.
—
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Two others wanted in the killing, 32-year-old Santos Vasquez-Rivera and 30-year-old Carlos Alvarado, remain on the loose, Bessette said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2025
In April, officials in suburban San Diego received a report about an emu on the loose.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 23 July 2025
Billionaires are raising money against him; Trump is ranting; Islamophobes are on the loose.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for on the loose
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Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 Aug. 2025
Two others wanted in the killing, 32-year-old Santos Vasquez-Rivera and 30-year-old Carlos Alvarado, remain on the loose, Bessette said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2025
In April, officials in suburban San Diego received a report about an emu on the loose.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 23 July 2025
Billionaires are raising money against him; Trump is ranting; Islamophobes are on the loose.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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