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

Whispers of the return of Tumblr-era mid 2010s skinny jeans and rumors of early aughts low-rise have been on the loose for the past few seasons. —Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024

Four gunshot victims lay dead in the garage, and the shooter was on the loose. —Sebastian Rotella, ProPublica, 14 Mar. 2024

The subject was Flaco, a Eurasian eagle-owl, and his year on the loose in Manhattan. —Ed Shanahan, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024

The suspect then fled the subway and remains on the loose. —Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024

The video depicts an idiot on the loose with a gun. —Francis Wilkinson, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024

Multiple homicide:Shooting at Arlington, Texas apartment leaves 3 people dead, gunman on the loose Alabama executes killer with nitrogen gas in controversial first-of-its-kind method Historic church collapses in New London, Connecticut. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024

Campion has a knack for unsettling timing and imagery while, with a killer on the loose, Ryan has to contend with possibly being stalked and gore that needs to be seen to be believed. —Eric Farwell, EW.com, 27 Oct. 2023

Now the calendar has turned to October, and Haynes, 30, is still on the loose. —Peter Hermann, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2023