1
as in loose
not bound, confined, or detained by force
after having been chained for so long, the suddenly footloose dog ran helter-skelter about the yard
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in freewheeling
not held back by rules, duties, or worries
wished I could be as carefree as that footloose toddler
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of footloose
Of all the world’s footloose international students, 15 percent come to the United States, the largest share of any country in the world.
—
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for footloose
David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 28 May 2025
Defiant and determined to get back home on his own to his mother and grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, George encounters real danger as a distraught Rita tries to find her footloose son.
—Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Oct. 2024
The footloose couple performed on the opening night of the Symphony of Dance tour in Melbourne, Fl.
—Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 17 Apr. 2024
Huppert plays a footloose and intense French woman at large in Korea and vaguely making ends meet as an untrained language tutor with eccentric methods.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 19 Feb. 2024
See All Example Sentences for footloose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for footloose
Adjective
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The loose fit is perfect for layering, too, and packs down surprisingly well.—
Sophie Dodd,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Oct. 2025
-
That said, shoppers note that the sweater is tight-fitting and recommend sizing up for a looser fit, similar to Paltrow’s knit.—
Melony Forcier,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The podcast format gives Tolbert a more freewheeling forum than radio.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
28 Feb. 2025
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There’s no legal argument to be made against this turn away from fact-checking and towards a more freewheeling, more disinformation-laden, more confusing, more hateful and less illuminating approach.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Head Start provides free child care and early education to kids living in poverty, while also serving as a coordinator of services, like health care and food access, to their families.—
Beki San Martin,
Freep.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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Gigantic magnetic bubbles also break free from the Sun as the solar magnetic field reconfigures, launching up to fifty billion tons of plasma into interplanetary space.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What began as a casual idea—something fun to fill the week after the course’s annual aerification—quickly evolved into a full-scale charitable event.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
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Turn casual contacts into reliable allies while Mercury harmonizes with Jupiter and Saturn.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With Worthy back, the Chiefs offense suddenly seems unbound as well.—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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Ideas flow when the body is occupied but the mind is unbound.—
Karen Palmer
September 19,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Footloose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/footloose. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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