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
Students miss days of school and businesses lock up with a gunman still on the loose
While searchers trudge through Daniel Boone National Forest – which spans 21 Kentucky counties – more than a dozen local school districts canceled at least one day of classes this week.
—
Holly Yan, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
The suspects were still on the loose late Sunday as police urged people to shelter in place and steer clear of the scene, calling it an active-shooter situation.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2024
In a post on Facebook, a local resident documented the snake on the loose.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2024
The film teases that Cooper is on the loose again, Lady Raven could return in some other tale, and most Shyamalan fans would totally watch an FBI profiler show starring Mills.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for on the loose 
Holly Yan, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024
The suspects were still on the loose late Sunday as police urged people to shelter in place and steer clear of the scene, calling it an active-shooter situation.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2024
In a post on Facebook, a local resident documented the snake on the loose.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2024
The film teases that Cooper is on the loose again, Lady Raven could return in some other tale, and most Shyamalan fans would totally watch an FBI profiler show starring Mills.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for on the loose
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the loose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near on the loose
Cite this Entry
“On the loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20loose. Accessed 21 Sep. 2024.
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