break loose
idiom
1
: to suddenly become loose : to suddenly stop being attached to something
One of the shutters broke loose during the storm.
2
: to get away from someone or something by using force or effort
The prisoner broke loose and ran away.
—often + fromThe prisoner broke loose from the guards.
She wants to break loose from the constraints of her middle-class life.
Examples of break loose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Then, if Trump stays well under a 50 percent job approval rating, Vance will need to break some ties, and political hell could break loose.
—
Myra Adams, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
After they were tied up, Alger managed to break loose and confront the attacker.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Up next is a Week 6 jumpstart in London, where Bo Nix looks to keep cooking and Justin Fields attempts to break loose.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jordan’s climactic speech is a fun place to leave the episode, suggesting all hell could break loose if the administration doesn’t handle this delicately.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break loose
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.
Myra Adams, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2026
After they were tied up, Alger managed to break loose and confront the attacker.
—Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 19 Dec. 2025
Up next is a Week 6 jumpstart in London, where Bo Nix looks to keep cooking and Justin Fields attempts to break loose.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Jordan’s climactic speech is a fun place to leave the episode, suggesting all hell could break loose if the administration doesn’t handle this delicately.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for break loose
Cite this Entry
“Break loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/break%20loose. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
