turn loose

phrase

1

a

: to set free

turned the animal loose

b

: to free from all restraints

… turned them loose with a pile of theme paper to write whatever they liked …

—Elizabeth P. Schafer

2

: to fire off : discharge

3

: to open fire

Synonyms of turn loose

• free
• release
• rescue
• save
• liberate
• loose

Examples of turn loose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Republicans who choose to stand with Trump on the tariffs will also know Democrats will have a scorecard to turn loose in TV ads and social media showing voters how Republican incumbents handled the tariff vote. — Bob Kustra, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

The gold exhausted by the mid-1920s, the mines faltered and then closed, the miners left and the burros stayed, turned loose to make their own way in the desert. — Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct. 2026

Chad Hickman's ex-wife blames an Up North court system for turning loose the man Michigan State Police suspect of going on a shooting spree that killed five people. — John Wisely, Freep.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for turn loose

• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse
• disuse
• excuse
• footloose