let loose

idiom

1
: to allow (someone or something) to move or go freely
He let the dogs loose in the courtyard.
cattle let loose to graze on the green fields
often used figuratively
a director who's willing to let her actors loose to interpret their roles however they see fit
how to stop the violence that has been let loose on the city
2
: to produce (something, such as a cry) in a sudden and forceful way
The crowd let loose an enormous groan when the pass was intercepted.
She let loose (with) a scream.

Examples of let loose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Jenner purchased her current home in 2020 and fully let loose in decking it out with colorful art and eclectic furnishings. Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 20 Mar. 2025 Not long ago, President Trump let loose on Truth Social about his frustration with new environmental consumer-product standards—lousy water pressure in showers, weakly flushing toilets. Diego Lasarte, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025 There’s time for kids to inspect elephant dung, find bones, collect guinea fowl feathers, and make castings of lion paw prints, plus let loose in waterfalls, try catch-and-release fishing, and learn to throw spears. Kathryn Romeyn, AFAR Media, 11 Feb. 2025 In his first month, President Donald Trump let loose a barrage of U.S. policy pivots. Rich Karlgaard, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for let loose

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Cite this Entry

“Let loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let%20loose. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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