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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Bam Adebayo snagged the loose ball and slung a pass back to Powell, only for Dosunmu to pick it off once again.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
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The actor paired his with a pair of loose white cargo pants, featuring a baggy, oversized fit and wide legs.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The silent generation thought boomers were too freewheeling.—
Harvard Business Review,
Harvard Business Review,
30 Dec. 2025
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Todd Snider, the freewheeling American artist known for his sharp wit and decades of genre-blending songwriting, has died.—
Stephanie Giang-Paunon,
FOXNews.com,
15 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.—
Mirna Alsharif,
NBC news,
31 Jan. 2026
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Hot topics figure to include a potential salary cap or floor as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ free agency spending spree continued this winter.—
SportsDay Staff,
Dallas Morning News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The restaurant employs roughly 80 people and has long been known for its casual atmosphere and accessibility in a town increasingly defined by high-end shops and restaurants.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Marvel's first series for Disney+ proved to be a home run, for long-term MCU fans and casual viewers alike.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With Worthy back, the Chiefs offense suddenly seems unbound as well.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Ideas flow when the body is occupied but the mind is unbound.—
Karen Palmer
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footloose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footloose. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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