1
as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force
after having been chained for so long, the suddenly footloose dog ran helter-skelter about the yard
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freewheeling
not held back by rules, duties, or worries
wished I could be as carefree as that footloose toddler
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of footloose
Of all the world’s footloose international students, 15 percent come to the United States, the largest share of any country in the world.
—
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for footloose
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for footloose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footloose
Adjective
-
Snell underwent surgery 10 days ago to remove loose bodies from his left elbow.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The loose sand was taxing and forced us off our bikes several times, slowing our momentum.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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For decades, the Alamos authored one of the wildest Hollywood stories of that feverish and freewheeling time.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
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The silent generation thought boomers were too freewheeling.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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They’re connected by a free three-and-a-half-mile coastal trail known as the Cliff Walk—one of the biggest tourist draws to America’s smallest state.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
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Another idea would treat the money the government puts into people’s individual funds as an interest-free loan, which people would then pay back once their wealth compounds.—
Alison Durkee,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Fairmont draws a diverse crowd—from business travelers to couples celebrating anniversaries, to casual visitors—creating a lively but laid-back atmosphere.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
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Amenities include Sunset Beach with complimentary chairs and umbrellas for guests and the new Captiva Landing water playground with waterslides, a lazy river, arcade, and casual restaurant.—
Allison Tibaldi,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Adjective
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His vibrant original compositions were faithfully reproduced using stencil and combined with an original text written by the artist to form the unbound book.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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Beginning March 7, the Art Institute of Chicago will be displaying an exhibition featuring a colorful unbound book of late-career works by French artist Henri Matisse.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Footloose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footloose. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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