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

The world's biggest iceberg is on the loose and is threatening to collide with a tiny south Atlantic island, potentially affecting the wildlife there, scientists warned this week. —Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 28 Jan. 2025

Pavel Zacha pounced on the loose puck and dished it over to David Pastrnak for his 20th of the year to put the B’s up 3-0. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 15 Jan. 2025

Denim trends in 2025 are likely to build on the loose fits and all-indigo looks of recent seasons. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 3 Jan. 2025

The dead include: 42 y/o man 38 y/o female 11 y/o boy 9 y/o girl 2 y/o girl Police do not believe there is a suspect on the loose, say this was isolated to the home. —CBS News, 18 Dec. 2024

Rhymes for on the loose

• disabuse
• introduce
• reproduce
• abstruse
• abuse
• adduce
• atreus
• caboose
• cayuse
• conduce
• deduce
• diffuse