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
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
The games have always been fast and loose with physics, and the omnimovement system only exasperated it by giving everyone the Matrix-style power to shoot backward while careening down a flight of stairs.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
Four years and nine months prior, a relative of the Gonzales family in Houston was watching over their two dogs as the family went out of town for a wedding, and Randy managed to play it a little too fast and loose with the rules and escaped the house, KHOU said.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fast and loose
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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
The games have always been fast and loose with physics, and the omnimovement system only exasperated it by giving everyone the Matrix-style power to shoot backward while careening down a flight of stairs.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
Four years and nine months prior, a relative of the Gonzales family in Houston was watching over their two dogs as the family went out of town for a wedding, and Randy managed to play it a little too fast and loose with the rules and escaped the house, KHOU said.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
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 4 May. 2026.
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