fast and loose
adverb
1
: in a reckless or irresponsible manner
… played fast and loose with the public purse strings.—
Paul Stuewe
Paul Stuewe2
: in a craftily deceitful way
… manipulated evidence … and played fast and loose with the truth.—C. V. Woodward
C. V. WoodwardExamples of fast and loose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Musk’s attorneys brought him on to argue that OpenAI had played fast and loose with the technology, but Judge Gonzalez Rogers ruled that talk of existential risk was off-limits.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
This version plays fast and loose with tradition, the big shortcut being a package of seasoned yellow rice that comes to the pan already flavored.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2026
Moving along, was the debtor playing fast and loose with the Trust's assets the final hole in the Swiss cheese?
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2026
For starters, someone might be fast and loose with the truth.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fast and loose
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Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
This version plays fast and loose with tradition, the big shortcut being a package of seasoned yellow rice that comes to the pan already flavored.
—Maggie Meyer Glisan, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2026
Moving along, was the debtor playing fast and loose with the Trust's assets the final hole in the Swiss cheese?
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2026
For starters, someone might be fast and loose with the truth.
—Georgia Nicols, Denver Post, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fast and loose
Cite this Entry
“Fast and loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast%20and%20loose. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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