break loose

Idioms and Phrases

Escape from restraint, as in The boat broke loose from its moorings , or He finally broke loose from the school of abstract expressionism . This expression also appears in all hell breaks loose , which indicates a state of fury or chaos, as in When Dad finds out you broke his watch, all hell will break loose , or When the children saw the dead pigeon in the hall, all hell broke loose . [Early 1400s]

Example Sentences

Expect all hell to break loose now, however, something akin to the wrath of God.

From The Daily Beast

If you do nothing, it will likely break loose sooner or later anyway.

From The Daily Beast

When the autopsy comes, all hell's going to break loose,” Liza Minnelli told CBS, “so thank God we're celebrating him now.

From The Daily Beast

For good or ill, the torrent of rebellion was suffered to break loose, and it soon engulfed a continent.

From Project Gutenberg

The smile was like a knife-thrust through her heart: everything in her began to tremble and break loose.

From Project Gutenberg

Im going to break loose—stop this eternal, maddening fighting to hold myself in—give way!

From Project Gutenberg

The border excitement was about to break loose in deadly earnest, but that was more than any of them knew at that time.

From Project Gutenberg

He ought to break loose from her and run wild for a while—ought to rough it out West on fat sow bosom and heifer's delight.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• casual
• impromptu
• instinctive
• offhand
• simple
• unplanned
• voluntary